Padmé's Prevarication
by Zinoviev
Summary: When Obi-Wan comes to Padmé to ask about Anakin's whereabouts, Padmé lies and tells him that Anakin was sent to Tatooine. This lie prevents Anakin's dismemberment, yet Padmé is nevertheless still horrified at what he has become.
1. Chapter 1

**BOOK 1**

Chapter 1

All afternoon, Padmé had been pacing back in forth in her apartment, struggling to keep her sense of dread at bay. A few hours ago, she had watched in horror as the Jedi Temple was consumed by an ominous dark grey smoke. Had Anakin been there when it happened? She couldn't bear to ask the next question if that was indeed the case.

She was therefore relieved beyond measure when C-3PO came into the room to inform her that Anakin's ship was approaching. Running out of the apartment onto the patio, she let out a huge sigh of relief when she saw Anakin stepping out of his fighter. Jumping into his arms, Padmé gave him a kiss before pulling away

"Are you alright?" she asked, running her hands through his hair. "I heard there was an attack on the Jedi temple, you can see the smoke from here!"

"I'm fine," he insisted. "I'm fine. I came to see if you and the baby are safe."

"What's happening?" she asked.

"The Jedi have tried to overthrow the Republic," Anakin said.

Padmé's eyes widened in shock. "I can't believe that!" she said.

"I saw Master Windu attempt to assassinate the Chancellor myself," Anakin said with a steely edge to his voice.

"Oh, Anakin! What are you going to do?" she asked, still in a state of disbelief. None of this made any sense. Why would have caused the Jedi to launch a coup? Were they intending to seize power for themselves or was this about removing Palpatine from office?

Anakin hesitated, turning away from her without answering. Padmé watched him with concern, detecting that something was amiss with him. "I will not betray the Republic," he said eventually. Turning back to face her, he continued. "My loyalties lie with the Chancellor, and with the Senate, and with you."

"What about Obi-Wan?" she asked as Anakin stepped back towards her.

"I don't know," he said grimly as he looked away from her concerned eyes. "Many Jedi have been killed. We can only hope that he has remained loyal to the Chancellor."

"Anakin, I'm afraid," she said softly, her eyes wide as she analyzed Anakin's somber expression.

"Have faith, my love," he said, placing a hand on her cheek tenderly. "Everything will soon be set right. The Chancellor has given me a very important mission. The Separatists have gathered on the Mustafar system. I'm going there to end this war. Wait for me until I return. Things will be different, I promise." Padmé nodded, trying desperately to convince herself that everything was going to be alright. Anakin leaned down to give her one last kiss. "Please, wait for me," he added before turning to return to his ship. Placing her hands over her belly, Padmé watched him step into the cockpit and fly away. Taking off, Padmé watched the ship until it had disappeared into the bright lights of Coruscant's skyline.

"My lady, is there anything I might do?" C-3P0 asked her, oblivious as always to the magnitude of the situation.

"No thank you, Threepio," she said, waving him away. As C-3P0 wandered off, Padmé stood transfixed on the spot. She should have felt relieved that Anakin was alive, yet she couldn't shake off her sense of foreboding. Something wasn't right with all this. The Jedi were peacekeepers, not power grabbers. Something was off about Anakin as well. His demeanor was different. She couldn't help but fear that something horrible had happened.

The next morning Padmé was sitting on her couch on the patio, contemplating everything that Anakin had told her when her doorbell rang, startling her. "General Kenobi is here to see you, my lady," C-3P0 told her, emerging from the hallway.

"Let him in," she said, relieved that Obi-Wan was alright. Perhaps he could provide her with some much-needed answers. C-3P0 turned around and waddled down the hallway to let Obi-Wan in.

Standing up, Padmé glanced at the landing pad where Anakin had arrived late last night, irrationally hoping that perhaps he would return. Padmé turned around to see Obi-Wan watching her from the hallway, his expression grim.

"Obi-Wan, I'm so glad you're alright," she told him as she walked over to greet him. "What are you doing here?"

"It's about Anakin," he said solemnly. Immediately on guard, Padmé did her best to remain calm although internally she was panicking. "When was the last time you saw him?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Yesterday," Padmé said neutrally as she turned back towards the couch.

"Do you know where he is now?" Obi-Wan asked.

Padmé inhaled sharply, fearing where this line of questioning was leading. "No," she lied confidently.

"Padmé, I need your help," Obi-Wan said, descending the stairs and approaching her. "He is in grave danger."

"From the Sith?" she asked sharply, spinning around to face him.

"From himself," Obi-Wan replied, a concerned expression on his face. Obi-Wan paused for a moment, then reached out to put a hand on her shoulder. "Padmé, Anakin has turned to the dark side."

"You're wrong!" Padmé retorted instantly, recoiling from him. "How could you even say that?"

Obi-Wan looked down and walked away from her slowly. "I have seen a security hologram of him… killing younglings."

"Not Anakin! He couldn't!" Padmé insisted, yet internally she knew that Obi-Wan was being truthful with her. But how could Anakin have done that? And why? None of this made any sense!

"He was deceived by a lie, we all were," Obi-Wan said, turning around to face her once more. "It appears the Chancellor is behind everything, including the war. Palpatine is the Sith Lord we've been looking for. After the death of Count Dooku, Anakin became his new apprentice."

Padmé's heart was thudding in her chest as she absorbed this terrible information. Blinking rapidly, she turned away from Obi-Wan in disbelief. "I don't believe you," she said eventually, hoping against hope that Obi-Wan was mistaken. "I can't."

She sat down, a crushing sense of dread and guilt crashing down on her shoulders. Palpatine was the Sith Lord? The man she had trusted for her entire political life? The man she had helped assume power? And Anakin had joined forces with him? But why? Why would he have done that?

Vaguely, she noticed that Obi-Wan had sat down next to her. "Padmé, I must find him," he said to her.

Padmé turned to Obi-Wan, a terrible realization hitting her. "You're going to kill him, aren't you?" she asked, suddenly understanding why Obi-Wan was here.

Obi-Wan said nothing for a long time, his somber eyes boring into her own. "He has become a very great threat," he said finally.

Padmé shook her head and looked away. She couldn't bear the thought of telling Obi-Wan where Anakin was. But if half of what he had said was true, didn't he deserve to die? Killing younglings? Turning to the dark side? How could her Anakin have done that?

Yet she couldn't tell him. She had to find out for herself if what Obi-Wan said was true, although she knew deep down that it was. Dismayed by her silence, Obi-Wan stood up to leave.

"Wait!" Padmé said, before she realized what she was saying. Obi-Wan spun around to look at her. "He's on Tatooine," she told him. "Palpatine sent him to Tatooine."

Obi-Wan frowned at her as he considered this. "Tatooine?" he said, sounding incredulous. "Why would he go there?"

"I don't know," Padmé said hurriedly, fearing that Obi-Wan might sense that she was lying. "He didn't tell me why."

Obi-Wan stared back at her silently for a long while. He had to believe her, Padmé thought to herself. That way Anakin would be safe and she would be able to find out the truth. "You're absolutely certain?" he finally asked.

"Yes," Padmé said confidently, her hands resting over her belly defensively. Obi-Wan nodded, his eyes drifting down to her midsection.

"Anakin is the father, isn't he?" he asked.

Padmé's heart skipped a beat. Unable to meet his gaze, Padmé looked down in shame.

"I'm so sorry," Obi-Wan said as he turned to leave.

* * *

Stepping over the charred remains of a battle droid, Anakin made his way into the command room where he had just destroyed the Separatist leadership. The war was won. He had been the one to end it.

So why did he feel so conflicted? Looking around at the carnage he had reaped on the room, Anakin felt a strangely detached sense of guilt. This… this hadn't been how things were supposed to end. He had thought that the war would end with a triumph, not with a silent massacre.

Everything he had thought he had known no longer made sense. His whole life, he had thought the Jedi were the epitome of goodness and selflessness. Now it had been revealed that they had been plotting to overthrow the Chancellor. They were the perpetrators of the war, not its reluctant participants! But was that really true? How could that possibly have been the case?

Yet Anakin forced himself to ignore these concerns. They were peripheral to his real motivation which was to save Padmé. There the Jedi had undeniably failed him. It was there fault that they had been forced to keep their relationship a secret. Only Darth Sidious was powerful enough to help him save Padmé's life. All other questions or concerns about Sidious' intentions or morals were moot to Anakin.

Sidious guaranteed Anakin that he would be able to save Padmé's life if Anakin fulfilled his end of the bargain. And so he had done it unflinchingly. He had destroyed the Jedi at the Temple and now he had massacred the Separatists on Mustafar. The end would justify the means, Anakin had told himself. Anything to save Padmé.

Reaching the hologram table in the center of the command room, Anakin entered the Chancellor's code and waited. After a few seconds, the disfigured form of Darth Sidious appeared before him.

"The Separatists have been taken care of, my Master," Anakin said neutrally, his arms crossed in front of him.

"It is finished then," Sidious said. "You have restored peace and justice to the Galaxy."

Anakin felt his chest swell with pride, his doubts quickly evaporating. Obi-Wan had never spoken to him this way! The Jedi had never given him credit for his victories, never acknowledged his talents. His new Master appreciated his true worth!

"Send the message to the ships of the Trade Federation," Sidious continued. "All droid units must be shut down immediately."

"Very good, my Lord," Anakin said. As Sidious' hologram faded out, Anakin turned his head when he heard a beeping sound. Noticing that the sound was coming from a nearby RADAR screen, Anakin saw with a start what appeared to be Padmé's distinctive ship approaching. What could she be doing here? Had something gone wrong?

Leaving the command room, Anakin stepped out onto the platform leading to the landing pad. Confirming that it was indeed Padmé's ship, Anakin removed his hood and began running towards the landing pad where he could now see Padmé descending the on-ramp. Reaching the ship, Anakin received Padmé's crushing hug. "I saw your ship," he said, holding her trembling figure tightly. Letting go, he held her at arm's length and gave her a questioning look. "What are you doing out here?" he asked.

"I was so worried about you," Padmé said, slightly out of breath "Obi-Wan told me terrible things."

"What things?" Anakin asked stiffly, displeased at the mention of his former master.

"He said you've turned to the dark side," she said, shaking her head with each word as if to convince herself that Obi-Wan hadn't been telling the truth. "That you… killed younglings."

Anakin hesitated, suddenly afraid of what Padmé would think of him if she didn't understand the full scope of the story. "Obi-Wan is trying to turn you against me," he said.

"He cares about us," Padmé told him.

"Us?" Anakin asked.

"He knows. He wants to help you." Anakin smiled humorlessly at the prospect of Obi-Wan helping him. "Anakin, all I want is your love."

"Love won't save you, Padmé," Anakin said. "Only my new powers can do that."

"But at what cost?" Padmé asked. "You're a good person, Anakin. Don't do this!"

"I won't lose you like I lost my mother," Anakin said, determined to make her understand. "I am becoming more powerful than any Jedi has dreamed of, and I'm doing it for you. To protect you."

"Come away with me," Padmé said, running her hands through his hair. "Help me raise our child. Leave everything else behind while we still can!"

"Don't you see?" Anakin said, beginning to feel irritated. "We don't have to run away anymore. I have brought peace to the Republic. I am more powerful than the Chancellor, I – I can overthrow him! And together, you and I can rule the Galaxy! Make things the way we want them to be!"

Anakin didn't know what he was saying. He had never before considered overthrowing the Chancellor. He certainly had never thought about ruling the Galaxy. But he thought that Padmé would appreciate this. She would understand that that he was doing this for the greater good.

Yet Padmé didn't seem to be convinced by his proclamation. Instead, she took a step away from him, her eyes wide with terror and disbelief. "I don't believe what I'm hearing," she said, shaking her head. "Obi-Wan was right. You've changed."

Anakin clenched his jaw in frustration. "I don't want to hear any more about Obi-Wan," he said, waving his hand in front of him. "The Jedi turned against me, don't you turn against me!"

Padmé's face contorted in a mixture of horror and sorrow. "I don't know you anymore," she said. "Anakin, you're breaking my heart. You're going down a path I can't follow!"

"Because of Obi-Wan?" Anakin asked.

"Because of what you've done! Because of what you plan to do!" Anakin looked away, trying to keep his anger at bay. Why couldn't she understand? He was doing this for her! "Stop! Stop now, come back! I love you!"

Anakin closed his eyes and clenched his fists. "Then why don't you understand?" he asked angrily. "I'm doing this to save you!"

Padmé suddenly doubled over in pain, her hands clutched around her midsection. "Padmé?" Anakin asked, afraid that he had somehow caused this. Padmé looked up at him, her eyes wet with tears, whether of pain or of sorrow, Anakin couldn't be sure.

"The… the baby." Padmé suddenly cried out in pain and collapsed to her knees. Terrified, Anakin dropped to his knees as well and put a hand around her back.

"What's wrong?" he asked urgently.

"I think my water broke."

Anakin gaped at her silently for a few moments. Now? The baby was coming now? What was he going to do? Somehow, he doubted Mustafar had adequate facilities for childbirth. Fully panicking now, Anakin felt lightheaded as he considered his options. He had to get Padmé off planet to somewhere safe.

Another groan of pain from Padmé kicked Anakin into action. Standing up, Anakin reached down and scooped Padmé up into his arms, his legs straining slightly with the effort. With the utmost care, Anakin carried Padmé back onto her ship where he laid her down on a conveniently placed cot. "You're alright, I'm going to get you out of here," Anakin said, somewhat out of breath. "Threepio, look after her!" he ordered, noticing the golden protocol droid standing nearby.

Glancing back down at Padmé, Anakin felt a jolt of abject terror when he saw that she seemed to be barely conscious. "Stay with me, alright!" he said hurriedly, his whole body beginning to shake. "I'll be right back!"

Rushing off to the cockpit, Anakin jumped into the pilot's chair and began the ignition process as fast as he could. Lifting the ship into the air, Anakin maxed the throttle to get out of Mustafar's toxic atmosphere as quickly as possible. Shifting over to autopilot, Anakin began frantically fumbling with the navigational computer, trying to find a nearby place to land. Why did the Separatists have to base themselves in the most remote part of the Galaxy? There were no planets anywhere near! Then he saw it. A tiny asteroid field called Polis Massa. It was so insignificant that Anakin had to zoom in for it to even register on the navigational computer. Hoping desperately that there would be someone there to assist them, Anakin punched the coordinates into the computer and jumped the ship into hyperspace.

* * *

Obi-Wan kicked a rock as he made his way back towards his ship on Tatooine. This had been a colossal waste of time. He had known the second he had landed on this inhospitable planet that Anakin wasn't on it. Yet nonetheless, he had spent the entire afternoon asking around in Mos Espa. Predictably, he had come up with nothing. It was theoretically possible that Anakin was somewhere else on the planet, but Obi-Wan knew deep down that he had been lied to.

Padmé had lied to him to protect Anakin. Obi-Wan had suspected that she might have done so even back on Coruscant. After all, what reason did Palpatine have to send Anakin to Tatooine? The planet was remote and entirely insignificant to the war. Yet Obi-Wan had went anyway. Was it because he had trusted Padmé so deeply? No, that wasn't why. It was because Obi-Wan hadn't wanted to find Anakin at all. He knew he wouldn't have been able to kill him if he found him.

So now what would he do? The Jedi were finished. As far as he knew, he was the only one left. He could keep trying to find Anakin, but Obi-Wan suspected that the window of opportunity to confront him was closing; Anakin was increasing in power by the second, Obi-Wan could sense it. Darth Vader would soon be the most formidable Force wielder the Galaxy had ever seen. Obi-Wan wouldn't stand a chance against him.

He would have to go into exile, as depressing as that prospect sounded. Perhaps he could retire somewhere nice, however. He certainly wasn't staying on this rock any longer than he had to. Yet as he approached his ship, Obi-Wan felt a surge of panic when he saw it had been surrounded by Jawas.

"No! Get away from my ship!" he yelled, pulling out his lightsaber. The Jawas scurried away, but the damage had already been done. His once proud Jedi Fighter had been stripped bare. There was no way he would be able to get off planet with this ship. Obi-Wan kicked the side of the ship in frustration. Ignoring the pain in his foot, Obi-Wan sunk to the ground in a state of utter dismay. Literally everything had gone wrong in the past few days.

A vibration in his pocket stirred Obi-Wan out of his despair. Producing his comlink, Obi-Wan stood up and placed it on the shell of his now useless ship. Turning it on, Obi-Wan was greeted for the second time in as many days by the hologram of Bail Organa.

"Senator Organa," Obi-Wan said, relieved to see a friendly face. "What news?"

"Master Yoda and I have escaped the capital and are on our way to an asteroid field called Polis Massa," Bail informed him.

"What of the Chancellor? Did Master Yoda defeat him?" Obi-Wan asked, although he knew the answer already.

"No, Master Yoda only just escaped with his life."

Obi-Wan gave a heavy sigh and shook his head. That had been his last hope. Now he knew he was stranded on this planet for good.

"Where are you Master Kenobi?" Bail asked.

"I am stranded on Tatooine," Obi-Wan informed him. "I received faulty intel that Anakin was sent here. My ship has been stripped by Jawas and I have no way to leave the planet."

Bail's forehead creased in concern. "Stay where you are, Master Kenobi. Master Yoda and I will contact you again when we reach Polis Massa." With that, Organa's hologram flickered out. Sinking to his knees, Obi-Wan put his face in his hands. _How could this have happened_? he wondered for the umpteenth time. _Anakin, why did you do this? _


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Padmé was barely conscious when Anakin arrived at the medical facility on Polis Massa. Her head was lolling in a disquieting fashion as Anakin struggled to carry her and kick open the doors to the facility at the same time.

"Stay with me!" he whispered to her urgently, sweat glistening on his forehead. "Help! Somebody help!" His calls reverberated eerily around the pristine white hallway, yet nobody came to assist him.

Anakin's knees began to tremble, both because of the strain of carrying his pregnant wife and because of his looming sense of dread. Something wasn't right about this place. Where was everyone?

"Help!" he called out again in a high-pitched voice unbecoming of a Sith such as himself. "Is anyone there?" Suddenly, Anakin caught his breath and looked up sharply. He had sensed a familiar presence…

"Skywalker," said the unmistakable voice. "Come for help, have you?"

At the end of the sterile hallway stood Master Yoda, looking considerably more aged than he had been the last time Anakin had seen him. The little green man leaned heavily on his walking stick, but the steely look in his eyes revealed no such fragility.

Anakin briefly felt a surge of relief at Yoda's voice, but after meeting his eyes his boyish naiveté faded as quickly as it had come. Yoda was perhaps the last person he wanted to meet, especially after all he had done.

"Master Yoda," Anakin replied as coldly as he could, but the tremor in his voice no doubt dulled the effect. Yoda gave a brief glance down at Padmé's quivering form before returning his attention to Anakin. Following his example, Anakin glanced down at Padmé as well and felt a wave of panic crash over him as he remembered why he was here.

Anakin looked at Yoda with wide eyes, tears beginning to flow down his cheeks as his desperation began to overwhelm him. "H-help me," he stammered. "Please. Save her, please." Yoda narrowed his eyes at Anakin and made no movement, his triangular ear twitching irritably.

"I'll do anything, please!"

Yoda gave an uncharacteristically unpleasant smirk. "Proven that, you have. Darth Sidious' apprentice, you have become."

Anakin collapsed to his knees, clasping his arms around Padmé's limp form tighter so she wouldn't tumble to the ground. "I beg you to save her," he pleaded.

Yoda stared back at Anakin for a long while, an unreadable expression on his face. Finally, he gave a small nod and turned around to leave the hallway. As he left, a team of medical droids rushed past him to assist Padmé. Relieved, Anakin laid her as gently as he could on the stretcher provided by the droids.

"You're going to be okay," Anakin said hurriedly as the droids prepared to take Padmé away.

Padmé merely clenched her jaw and closed her eyes tightly. Giving Anakin's hand a squeeze, she said faintly "I want him to be named Luke."

Anakin shook his head. "You're going to be fine," he assured her as the droids began carting her away. "And it's going to be a girl!" he called after her in a futile attempt to lighten her mood.

Rushing after the expedient droids, Anakin was stopped by Yoda as he tried to follow them into the operating room.

"Stay here, young Skywalker," he said imperiously. Outraged, Anakin was briefly too flustered to retort. "Darkness surrounds you. Save Senator Amidala I cannot, if present you are."

Indignant yet unable to come up with a counterargument, Anakin nodded and covered his mouth with his fist. "You have to save her," he said hoarsely to Yoda's receding figure. Yoda paused briefly, but made no additional comment and proceeded through the white doors into the operating room.

"You have to save her," Anakin repeated to the empty hallway.

* * *

Yoda stroked his chin as he stood by Padmé's bedside, his short stature keeping him at eye level with the edge of the bed. She was writhing about in spite of the medical droid's best efforts to restrain her.

"Anakin!" she cried. "Anakin, where are you?"

"Remain still, please," the droid said calmly. Padmé made no indication that she heard the droid. In fact, she seemed to be totally unaware of her surroundings or of where she was.

"Anakin, I need you!"

Yoda frowned and turned away from the bed, deep in thought. Drowning out Padmé's wailing, he focused his attention to the life force in the Senator's womb. It was very strong, Yoda noticed with surprise. Exceptionally strong. Blinking a few times, Yoda turned around again to look at Padmé with heightened interest. Surely, the offspring of the Chosen One was destined to be powerful, but this level of raw power was unprecedented…

A particularly explosive shriek roused Yoda from his thoughts. He glanced upwards at the medical droid which was trying to gain his attention.

"An emergency C-section is necessary," it said in its monotone voice. "We suggest anesthetizing the patient."

"No need," Yoda grumbled. Shuffling over to Padmé's bedside, he reached up with his right hand and placed it on Padmé's forehead. Closing his eyes, he made a soft humming sound. Abruptly, Padmé ceased thrashing about and became still, her eyes glazed over. "Proceed with the operation," Yoda said.

The droids swooped in with exceptional speed. Yoda meanwhile had retreated from the bed once more and made his way over to a stool in the corner of the room. The weight of the past few hours crashed down on him suddenly as he sat down on the stool. Wearily, he rubbed his creased forehead.

Did Sidious know about the child? How could he not? The potential of this unborn infant outshone even its father. How could he have been so blind?

What was Skywalker so afraid of? Yoda hadn't thought much of it when he had first arrived, but now it didn't add up. Certainly, he was nervous for Senator Amidala whom he evidently cared very deeply for. But it wasn't as if she was in particular danger. Childbirth had become a virtually risk-free practice with the technology available to the planets of the Inner Core. There wasn't much for Yoda to do other than let the droids do their job. So why was Skywalker so desperate for his help?

"Master Yoda, the children are both healthy and ready to be delivered."

Yoda looked up sharply at the droid. "Children?" he said, bewildered.

"The patient is carrying twins," the droid said matter-of-factly. "A girl and a boy."

Of course! He could sense it now. The life force was so powerful because it was really two rather than one. They were intertwined, to be sure, but now he could distinguish between them They were equally radiant in the Force, exuding distinct yet equally luminous rays of energy. How different they were from their father! How powerful they both were…

Could they be the solution? The counterbalance to Skywalker's intrinsic darkness would not come from himself as he had hoped, but from his children. Yes, everything made sense now. He had sensed great anguish within young Skywalker when he had first met him over ten years ago. Obi-Wan had convinced him to allow the boy to be trained, to allow him to try and guide the boy to the light. In retrospect, it had been foolish to acquiesce and allow the boy to be trained. He was a loose cannon, and it had been a mistake to attempt to control him.

His children would be enough to match him, however. There was no impurity there, no darkness whatsoever. They would be the ones to bring balance to the Force, Yoda was sure of this.

But how would he keep them away from their father? If Skywalker got his hands on them he would corrupt them as soon as he could, and then all hope would be lost. Furthermore, they would have to be hidden away until they were old enough to pose a genuine threat to their father. They would need to be trained in secrecy. How could he achieve all this when Skywalker was literally in the next room?

The piercing and unmistakable cry of a newborn child caused Yoda to look up quickly. Slipping off his stool, he approached the bedside slowly, leaning heavily on his walking stick.

"The child, let me see it," he demanded to the droid.

Having cleaned the baby off and wrapped it in a soft white blanket, the droid obeyed and handed the crying child down to the diminutive Jedi Master. Not trusting himself to carry the child, Yoda lifted the baby out of the droid's arms using the Force.

"It is a boy," the droid informed him.

Yoda peered down into the blue eyes of the newborn baby boy who was hovering in front of him. The baby ceased crying abruptly when his met Yoda's gaze, perhaps sensing the authority which the wizened Jedi demanded. Scrutinizing the boy closely, Yoda narrowed his eyes and scratched his chin. "Hmm…" he said pensively. "Luke. Luke Skywalker."

Yoda finally looked away from young Luke when the droid announced that the second child had been delivered. Floating Luke gently to another droid, Yoda received the baby girl in a similar fashion. Unsurprisingly, she looked very similar to her brother, although her eyes were brown instead of blue. Yoda hesitated for a moment, realizing that he didn't know what to name her. He had overheard Padmé tell Anakin to name their son Luke, but she hadn't mentioned what to name the girl. Was it possible she didn't know she had been carrying twins?

Resolving that this was the least of his concerns at the moment, Yoda handed the girl off to a droid. "Have these children brought to Viceroy Organa's ship," Yoda ordered. "Do not allow anyone to interrupt you." Obeying Yoda's orders silently, the droid dropped both children into their respective cribs and glided off, leaving through the south exit.

Satisfied with the droid's efficiency, Yoda spun around and marched out of the room through the north exit. The second he had stepped out of the room, he was confronted by Skywalker who had been pacing in the hallway.

"How is she? How is the child?" he asked urgently.

Yoda didn't look up at him and continued walking. "Still operating, the droids are," he lied effortlessly.

"But where are you going!" Skywalker demanded. "Why aren't you helping!" Yoda didn't reply, however, as he continued along the hallway with surprising speed. Soon, the frantic Skywalker was behind him and Yoda allowed himself to lower the strong mental shields he had raised. Shuffling along, Yoda took a turn into a room where he was greeted by Bail Organa.

"Master Yoda!" Bail said, jumping to his feet. "What's happening? Why is Skywalker here? Is Padmé alright?"

Yoda shook his head and didn't say anything at first. Instead he made his way over to a chair across from where Bail had previously been seated. Sitting down, he gave out a deep sigh.

"Know of Skywalker's relationship with Senator Amidala, did you?" Yoda asked.

"Relationship? What do you mean? What relationship?" said Bail.

"Carrying his children, she was," Yoda said. Ignoring Bail's bewilderment, he continued. "Hidden this from everyone, they did."

Bail closed his mouth which had been hanging agape for a few moments. "Wow," he said simply.

Yoda pursed his lips and looked away from Bail. An uncharacteristic sense of doubt hit him suddenly, throwing Yoda off balance. He recovered quickly, however. He had to do this. The fate of the galaxy depended on it. He had to prevaricate or else Bail might not be willing to perform the gargantuan task he was about to task him with.

"Senator Amidala has died," he said bluntly. "Successfully delivered, her children were."

"No!" Bail exclaimed loudly, his eyes wide. "She can't be dead!" Yoda merely looked down, trying to remain unaffected by Bail's obvious agony. "She can't be," he whispered morosely.

"Protect her children, we must," Yoda said. "Skywalker must not reach them."

Bail said nothing, his hand still clasped over his mouth. Blinking rapidly, he looked back at Yoda with a distant expression.

"Separated, they must be."

Bail's eyes widened with shock. "Separated! No, you can't do that –"

"Argue with me, you cannot!" Yoda said forcefully, jumping off his seat irritably. "The fate of the galaxy depends on this." Bail closed his mouth and slumped back down onto his own chair. "In your ship, the children should already be –"

"Children?" Bail said suddenly. "You mean she was carrying twins?"

Yoda nodded briskly. "A boy and a girl," he said shortly. "To Tatooine, you must go and –"

"Did she get to see them?" Bail interjected. "Did she get to name them before… before she…"

"No," Yoda said brutally. Bail put his face in his hands in a state of utter dejection. Surprised by this reaction, Yoda was momentarily unsure how to proceed. "Luke. That was the name she chose for her son."

Bail looked up, his eyes shining with tears. "Luke," he echoed. "And the girl?"

Irritated, Yoda spun around and began pacing. "Tell me, she did not," he said.

"Then we'll name her Padmé," Bail said softly.

"No!" Yoda exclaimed quickly. "Hidden, she must be from Skywalker. Important, the name is not, as long as she is hidden."

Bail nodded and looked away, his lower lip trembling. Sighing, Yoda resumed giving his instructions. "Go to Tatooine, you must," he said. "Find Obi-Wan and give him one of the children. Make sure that Obi-Wan knows that the child must be protected at all costs."

Bail nodded and rubbed his eyes. "I will keep the girl. Breha and I have always wanted a daughter. We will raise her as our own."

"Good," Yoda said. "Go now, you must. Confront Skywalker, I will."

"What are you going to tell him?" Bail asked anxiously.

"That the children died," he replied.

"Master Yoda, you can't!" Bail exclaimed. "He'll kill you!"

Yoda nodded and gave Bail a faint smile. "Aware of the danger, I am. Too important, these children are." Stunned to silence by all that was happening, Bail was frozen to his seat. "Go!" Yoda demanded urgently. "Fear for me, you must not."

Taking a shaky breath, Bail rose to his feet and made his way to the exit. Before he left, he turned around one last time and gave Yoda a somber look. "May the Force be with you, Master Yoda."

"And with you, Viceroy."

His forehead creased with concern, Bail nodded at the sagacious little man and left.

"Yoda!" Skywalker exclaimed when he saw the diminutive green figure approaching. "Tell me what's going on!"

Yoda looked up at Skywalker with a scowl, clearly irritated that Skywalker hadn't used his proper title. "Respect for your elders, you have not," he said.

Skywalker clenched his jaw and his eyes flashed a dangerous yellow before returning to their normal blue hue. His hands balled into fists, he took a deep breath to regain his composure. "_Master _Yoda," he said in a strained voice. "How is my wife?"

Yoda raised an eyebrow. He had not expected the two to have been married. Once again, he wondered how such a serious breach of the Jedi Code could have taken place without his knowledge. Had Obi-Wan known of this transgression? Had he protected his former padawan?

"Alive," he said flatly.

Skywalker exhaled sharply as if he had been holding his breath until that point. "Thank you, Master," he said. "And the child? How is my child?"

Yoda looked down at his feet and closed his eyes. He could still feel the twins' presence in the facility, although it was much fainter than it had been before. Would Organa have enough time? Could Yoda delay Skywalker long enough? Would he even survive to see if he had succeeded?

On this last question, Yoda felt increasingly certain that he would not. The raw power exuded by Skywalker was overwhelming, draining out all light in the hallway. He was clearly unhinged; his sanity was perhaps only left intact because of his loyalty to Padmé. Yoda knew that with one word, Skywalker would snap. A true Sith, he would become.

And yet there was no avoiding it. Yoda knew he had to do it. He had to sacrifice himself for the sake of the children. There would be no salvaging of Skywalker now; he was so far down the path to darkness that Yoda was certain there could be no coming back. With a deep breath, Yoda looked up. His calm green eyes met Skywalker's frantic blue ones.

"Dead."

An oppressive silence followed the word. The Force rippled around Yoda, confirming to him that he had made the right decision. The time of his departure was near…

"What?" Skywalker whispered ominously.

Yoda said nothing, reaching out instead to locate the distinct signature of the children. They were rapidly fading away until they all but disappeared; Organa had escaped. With the faintest of smiles, Yoda clasped his hands in front of him and stood fully upright, determined to greet his fate with dignity.

"You… you failed," Skywalker stammered. "You killed my child." Shaking uncontrollably, Skywalker reached down to his belt and produced his weapon, igniting it. "I was a fool to trust you!" he bellowed viciously. "I HATE YOU!"

Yoda drooped his head and closed his eyes once again. "And that is why you will lose," he said softly to the floor.

With a savage roar, Skywalker sliced through the air. Just as the blade made contact with the ancient Master, the body disappeared. His cloak stood upright for the briefest moment as if it was still clothing its inhabitant, before tumbling to the ground in a heap.

Grand Master Yoda was no more.

* * *

Disconcerted by the manner in which Yoda had disappeared, Anakin had prodded the empty robes a few times with his feet. Determining that this simply must be how 800 year old creatures died, he kicked the robes aside and strode into the operating room. Opening the door softly, he looked around instinctively to see if anyone else was in the room.

Padmé was completely still on the bed. For a brief moment, Anakin felt a surge of panic as he wondered if Yoda had lied to him about Padmé surviving. He gave a deep sigh of relief when he noticed her chest moving, however.

As his eyes drifted down to her midsection he felt his throat constrict. A jagged scar on her lower stomach had been stitched up. Her stomach was still swollen from where their child had lived just a few minutes ago…

How could this have happened? Anakin felt as if everyone in his life was now gone. Only Padmé remained, but if her reaction to him on Mustafar was any indicator he doubted she would still love him. Now his child was dead. He hadn't even known if it had been a boy or a girl…

But where was the body? Anakin paused as he considered this horrific question. Yoda had told him the child had died. But where was the proof? Why wasn't he allowed to hold his child, alive or not?

"Anakin?" said an alarmingly faint voice.

Anakin spun his head towards Padmé. She had woken up, although her eyes were barely open. In two long strides, Anakin crossed the room and kneeled down at his wife's bedside.

"How are you feeling?" he asked softly, placing his hand on Padmé's damp hair.

Padmé looked around as if confused about where she was. She placed a hand on her still swollen belly. "Where is Luke?" she asked. "Is he alright?"

Anakin stiffened and fought off a suddenly powerful urge to cry. Unable to look into her expecting face, Anakin looked away. "Th-the baby didn't...didn't make it."

Padmé stared back at her husband silently for a long few seconds, her eyes now wide with disbelief. Her lower lip began to tremble as she looked away. "Where is he?" she asked in a whisper.

"I…" Anakin's voice caught in his throat as his vision began to blur with tears. "I don't know."

"Ani, where is our son?"

Anakin stood upright and turned away, unable to bear it any longer. Running his hands through his hair, he stared blankly at the wall. As he did so, he felt his despair fade into rage. Yoda had failed him, just as the rest of the Jedi had failed him his entire life. They had allowed his mother to die and now they had allowed his child to die as well. They had torn apart his life. They had even stolen from him the opportunity to hold his dead child. Where was the body?

"Yoda didn't tell me where the body went…" Anakin paused abruptly and spun around. "Yoda," he said in a whisper, his mind whizzing. Padmé said nothing, perhaps a little afraid of her husband's suddenly manic behavior.

"He must have lied!" he exclaimed loudly, his heart soaring as he considered what must have happened. "He wanted me to think that it was dead…" Anakin's voice trailed off. But Yoda was dead. Had he hidden the child somewhere else in the facility? Had that been where he had gone off to when he had left the operating room? But he hadn't been carrying anything with him…

"Ani, what are you talking about?" Padmé asked in a somber voice. "I just want to hold our son."

Anakin ignored her. Rushing out of the room, he tore down the hallway where Yoda had gone. He tore open every door along the way, searching frantically. Tables and chairs were flung out of the way violently as he searched every nook and cranny of the facility. A protocol droid rushed after him, pleading with him to stop, but Anakin paid it no heed.

Sweating profusely, Anakin paused after he had tarnished the last room. He had found nothing. No bundle of blankets or crib carrying his beloved child. There was nothing. His child was gone.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

It was with great reluctance that Anakin agreed to bring Padmé back home to Coruscant; he was sure that his child was alive and that he just needed to keep looking. After an hour of frantic searching, however, Anakin determined that there was nothing to find in the medical facility. If Yoda had stolen his child, he must have gotten him or her out of Polis Massa.

Padmé didn't want to hear about Anakin's conspiracy theories, however. "Stop it! Stop it, please!" she had finally pleaded when Anakin began to verbalize his suspicions once again. "He's dead. Luke is gone. Stop pretending like he isn't"

Anakin refused to listen to her, however. And while he kept his thoughts to himself now, he resolved that he would never rest until he found his child. This singular determination was perhaps the sole thing which kept him sane during this terrible time. Padmé hadn't forgotten what he had become, and she no doubt still hated him for it. Their entire journey back to Courscant was made in deafening silence.

Staring out into hyperspace, Anakin contemplated how things had gone so terribly wrong in the past few days. Padmé was alive, and this should have made him happy beyond measure. But he knew that she was alive only in the physical sense. The Padmé he knew and loved was gone. This version of his wife hated him. While she hadn't told him such, he also knew that the loss of the child had devastated her beyond measure.

This fact motivated Anakin even further to find their child. Only then could he revive Padmé and restore things to how they ought to be. Perhaps his Master would help him…

Or would he? He was a Sith, after all. Wouldn't Darth Sidious resent Anakin's child who certainly would be powerful in the Force like their father? Anakin didn't know much about the Sith, but he did know about the Rule of Two. Would his Master actually be pleased that Anakin's offspring had not come to be?

Of course he wouldn't! His Master was a compassionate and understanding man, far more so than the Jedi had ever been. Palpatine was his friend, a father-figure almost. Surely he would help his apprentice….

Landing back down on the landing pad outside of their apartment at the Senate Apartment Complex, Anakin took a deep breath and stood up from the pilot's seat. Padmé had secluded herself in her bedroom on the ship and had refused to come out for the duration of the flight back to Coruscant. Anakin had decided not to force the door open, but now he had little choice.

Knocking on the door, he strained to hear if there was any movement in the room. "Padmé," he said in a soft voice. "We're back. You have to come out." Anakin waited for a solid minute before the door opened, revealing the frail form of his wife. Her eyes had heavy bags underneath implying that she hadn't slept at all during the voyage. Her hair, normally done in a variety of extraordinary fashions, was tangled and messy. She walked past Anakin without acknowledging his presence and made her way off the ship.

Concerned, Anakin followed her, careful to maintain a degree of separation. When it became clear that Padmé was intending to walk straight into her bedroom in the apartment, Anakin reached out and grabbed her wrist.

"Padmé, please," he said. "You can't hide from this forever."

She looked around at him with a fiery expression in her tired eyes. "Let go of me," she said authoritatively. Acquiescing instantly, Anakin released her and watched morosely as she retreated to her room, slamming the door behind her.

With a heavy sigh, Anakin turned away and made his way towards the kitchen to get something to eat. Just as he reached the kitchen, however, his holocom vibrated in his pocket.

"You cannot be serious," Anakin said, rolling his eyes. "Yes?" he said, flipping the device on. He was greeted by the Vice Chair of the Senate, Mas Amedda.

"Lord Vader, the Emperor demands your audience. He is waiting for you in his apartment at 500 Republica," he said.

"I will go there at once," Anakin replied obediently.

With a nod, Amedda's figure flickered away. Deciding that he would eat later, Anakin strode to leave with a renewed sense of purpose. Reaching the door, he hesitated, looking back in the direction of the bedroom. He ought to tell her he was going, shouldn't he? They were married, after all.

It was if he had been severed from Padmé. Even during the long ten years between when they had met for the first and second times, Anakin had felt closer to Padmé than he did at this very instant. Had he made a mistake in pledging himself to the Dark Side? Had he saved Padmé's life but not her soul?

No. This was the Jedi's fault, not his. Anakin shook himself from his doubts and flung the front door open, leaving in a huff. Padmé would come to appreciate who he had become. He would find their child and she would love him once again. There was no room for doubt anymore. The old Anakin Skywalker was always doubting himself, questioning whether he was following the right path. Not anymore. Darth Vader was a new man.

* * *

"You did WHAT!?"

Anakin writhed in pain at his Master's feet as the residual jolts of Sith Lightning continued to course through his body. "Forgive me, my Master," he said pathetically.

Darth Sidious began to pace in front of his apprentice who was still twitching slightly from the brutal punishment. "Perhaps you have forgotten," Sidious said with with sickly bitterness. "When you pledged yourself to me, you pledged yourself to the Sith."

"Of course, Master," Anakin groveled.

"Are you a Sith, Darth Vader?"

"Yes, my Master."

"Then prove it!" Sidious shrieked, releasing another wave of lightening at Anakin. Jolting backwards, Anakin landed flat on his back, the air forced violently from his lungs when he landed. The pain was indescribable; his agony was ubiquitous, tendrils of electricity wrapped their way around his limbs and squeezed every inch of his flesh. Finally, the onslaught ended. Struggling to his knees, Anakin bowed in front of his Master.

"I was desperate, Master," he said in a futile attempt to justify himself. "I had to save her. I didn't want Yoda's help but there was no other way."

"Save the theatrics," Sidious spat, turning his back on his apprentice. "Perhaps I was wrong about you, Lord Vader," he mused.

Anakin looked up sharply and stood up. "You were not, Master!" he insisted. "I didn't fail you! I killed him!"

"You what?" Sidious exclaimed, spinning around quickly.

"Yoda is dead."

Sidious looked back at Anakin with his mouth slightly agape. "I see," he said eventually. "Perhaps I was wrong to doubt you, Lord Vader."

"He stole my child, Master. He told me that they had died but we never saw a body."

Sidious's mutilated brow furrowed as he continued to stare back at Anakin intently. He said nothing, so Anakin decided to continue.

"I think he somehow got them away without me realizing it. I couldn't find them anywhere in the facility."

"Them? Do you not know the child's sex?" Sidious asked inquisitively.

"No, my Master. Yoda did not reveal such and Padmé was unconscious at the time."

"I see…" Sidious said pensively as he retreated to sit back down on an exquisite purple armchair. "Very interesting."

Anakin remained silent, hoping that his Master would provide the answer he was seeking even if he didn't know what his question was. After a long while, Sidious looked up.

"I am afraid you are mistaken, Lord Vader. Your child is indeed dead."

"What!?" Anakin cried, utterly aghast. "How can you know?"

"All living things carry a Force Signature, my apprentice," Sidious lectured.

"I know that, but –"

"The presence that existed in your wife's womb is no more. I cannot sense it."

Anakin scoffed. "You couldn't possibly know that for sure, they could be anywhere in the galaxy!"

"Do you doubt me, Lord Vader?" Sidious asked in an ominously low tone.

"Of course not, Master, but –"

"Silence!" Sidious demanded, sitting upright from his seat with a speed no man of his age should ever possess. "You are powerful, Lord Vader, but I am older. With time, you will realize the true might of the Dark Side. In the meantime, you will neither doubt nor question me. You will respect me! Do I make myself clear?"

"Of course, my Master," Anakin said hurriedly, bowing his head before Sidious. "I am sorry."

Sidious continued to stare back at Anakin with his eyes narrowed. Squirming under the intense scrutiny, Anakin decided it was safest to continue staring at his feet.

Was his Master telling the truth? Was his child truly gone? Was it possible for Sidious to have that sort of power or was he simply trying to reign in his apprentice and get him to focus on other things? Yes, that seems like the sort of thing he would do. He couldn't possibly know for sure!

"And your wife? How is she?" Sidious asked in a tone reminiscent of Palpatine in its compassion.

Anakin swallowed hard before answering. "Not well, Master. She was devastated by the… by the ordeal."

"Yes, I would imagine so –" Sidious began to say, but was cut off as Anakin began unleashing his internal fears which he had kept bottled up until this point.

"She won't talk to me anymore. I think she blames me for what happened. She doesn't understand! I did this for her! I saved her life, but now it feels like the woman I knew is gone forever. She won't eat or sleep. She's like a shell of a person. I don't know what to do!"

Sidious's pale-yellow eyes flashed for the briefest of moments, so fast that Anakin nearly didn't detect it. What did that expression mean? Was he pleased? Triumphant? The compassionate countenance of Palpatine returned as quickly as it had disappeared, however.

"She will appreciate you in time, my young apprentice," Sidious said confidently. "You will see. For now, you should take her home to Naboo to recover. I am sure you could use the time off as well."

Anakin's heart swelled at the thought of returning to Naboo and he all but forgot the disconcerting look in his Master's eye a moment ago. "Yes, my Master. Thank you, I will take her at once."

"Good," Sidious said, looking down at the holopad on his desk which was alight with information. "I will contact you if I require your services, Lord Vader. You are dismissed."

As Anakin spun around gleefully to depart, he missed the sickly smile emerge across Sidious' marred face.

* * *

Obi-Wan was waiting for the Viceroy in a secluded area by some jagged rocks about a kilometer outside of Mos Eisley. He had his cowl up so as to cover his face, both to hide his identity in case anyone happened upon this spot and to protect himself from the incessant suns. Scratching his chin, he noticed with dismay that his beard was dry and tangled.

The sound of an approaching speeder roused Obi-Wan from his thoughts. Sneaking out from his carefully selected location, Obi-Wan looked around the corner to see who was approaching. It was indeed Organa, driving a beaten down silver speeder which must have cost him a fortune. The merchants of Mos Eisley knew how to wrangle credits out of foreigners; Obi-Wan had experienced that first hand when he had first come to this decrepit rock nearly fifteen years ago.

Organa slowed his speeder to a stop and after parking it in the shadows, he emerged carrying a small bundle in his arms. "General Kenobi," he said as he approached Obi-Wan's hooded figure.

Obi-Wan nodded to the Viceroy. "Senator Organa," he replied. "What news? Your message was very vague."

Organa sighed and looked down at the bundle in his arms. "These are dark times, Master Jedi," he said somberly. Obi-Wan said nothing, waiting for Organa to explain himself. The Viceroy looked up to meet Obi-Wan's eyes. "Padmé is dead."

Obi-Wan gaped back at Organa for a long while before speaking again. "How?" he asked finally.

Organa shook his head. "I don't know, Yoda didn't tell me."

Obi-Wan looked away, suddenly feeling very tired. Had Anakin been responsible? She had lied to protect him, he knew that now. Did she go to see him afterwards? Did Anakin kill her then?

"Master Yoda asked me to give him to you," Organa said, handing Obi-Wan the bundle in his arms. Looking down, Obi-Wan noticed that it was a baby. The child was remarkably calm given the circumstances. Obi-Wan stared at the child in bewilderment.

"I-I couldn't," he stammered. "I wouldn't know how to… a child? Is this Padmé's?"

Organa nodded solemnly. "She was carrying twins. This is Luke."

"Luke," Obi-Wan echoed, taking the bundle into his own arms.

"She had a daughter as well. Breha and I are going to raise her. Yoda insisted that they be separated so that their father cannot find them."

Obi-Wan was continuing to stare transfixed at the baby boy he was carrying. "Does he know?" he asked softly.

"No," Organa said. "He didn't know it was twins. He thinks the child died with Padmé."

Obi-Wan closed his eyes tight as his eyes began to sting with unwanted tears. A loose droplet managed to escape and slide down his cheek where it fell and collided with Luke's tiny fist. Surprised, the boy began to cry.

"Take him," Obi-Wan said suddenly, thrusting the crying child back towards Organa. "I can't raise this boy. It's too painful…"

"I cannot take him," Organa said. "They must be separated."

Obi-Wan began to tremble visibly now, the weight of the world crashing down on his shoulders. He felt like a colossal failure. Anakin was gone forever, Padmé was dead, and here he was holding their son. He was unworthy. He hadn't deserved to survive. He deserved to be with the rest of the Jedi.

"I must be going," Organa said, startling Obi-Wan.

"No! You don't understand, I can't raise this child!"

"I'm sorry," Organa said simply. "I wish you didn't have to, either. We have no other choice, though. Do it for Padmé." With that, he stepped back into the rusted speeder and drove away, leaving Obi-Wan alone with the wailing child.

* * *

Padmé's mood had brightened up ever so slightly when Anakin told her that he was taking her to Naboo. While she still refused to talk to him beyond a few syllables, she had at least resumed eating and the sickly pallor of her skin began to fade. The trip to Naboo was much like their last voyage: silent and uncomfortable. Anakin busied himself with speculating about where Yoda could have sent his child.

Had Yoda even died at all? He had simply disappeared when Anakin's lightsaber made contact with him. Perhaps he had transported elsewhere? Perhaps he hadn't even been there at all? Maybe he was still out there, training his newborn child as a Jedi!

The thought made Anakin sick to his stomach. Could it be that Yoda was corrupting his child, training him or her into a machine to kill their father? He wouldn't put it past the Grandmaster, that's for sure.

But Sidious insisted that his child was dead. He wouldn't be able to search for Yoda if his Master didn't give him permission to do so. Maybe he could hire a bounty hunter…

No brilliant solutions came to Anakin, however. He dared not bring up his thoughts to Padmé, either, for he knew she would shoot him down if he so much as speculated that their child was still alive. No, he had to be very careful around her if he wanted to regain her trust. Bringing her back to Naboo had been a wonderful idea, and he was grateful to his Master for suggesting it. It was here that they had fallen in love. To Anakin, anything seemed possible when he was on Naboo. He would regain Padmé's love and he would find his stolen child!

Having landed in Theed, Anakin managed to wrangle a rental speeder from a Toydarian who was equally avaricious as Watto had been. Anakin and Padmé made the drive up to the Naberrie's estate in complete silence once again. Every now and then, Anakin glanced over at Padmé to see if being back on Naboo was doing anything to soothe her spirit. On the contrary, she seemed to be even more aloof than usual – staring blankly out the window with a melancholy expression, her left hand rested above her deflating midsection.

Frustrated by Padmé's state of being, Anakin resolved to keep his eyes on the road for the rest of the journey. When they finally reached the Naberrie's estate, Padmé drifted out of the speeder like a ghost, gliding away towards the front steps, leaving Anakin behind to deal with the luggage. Exasperated, Anakin lifted both of their suitcases, noting that Padmé's was much heavier than his own, and followed his wife.

"Padmé!" Anakin heard a female voice call out as he was still climbing up the front steps. Halting at the open front door, Anakin watched as Padmé's mother Jobal flew towards her daughter and gave her a crushing hug. "Oh, we were so worried," she said in a muffled voice.

Behind her, Anakin noticed the still form of Ruwee, Padmé's protective father. Ruwee was looking back at Anakin with a skeptical look on his face.

"Padmé, you didn't tell us you still had a bodyguard," Ruwee said, still looking at Anakin. Separating herself from her mother, Padmé looked over at her father with a confused look on her face.

"Bodyguard? What are you… oh." Turning around, she saw Anakin standing in the doorway with the two suitcases. "Anakin isn't my bodyguard, anymore. Mom, Dad, Anakin and I are married." Ignoring Padmé's slight grimace when she said that, Anakin gave his father-in-law a smile.

"Married?" Jobal said in shock. "But why didn't you tell us? What about the child?"

Padmé flinched and looked to Anakin, perhaps hoping that he would explain. Anakin was silent however, having no idea what to do with himself. Sensing the palpable tension, Jobal changed tracks. "Anakin, please come in. We'll discuss everything over dinner, shall we?"

Padmé nodded silently and pursed her lips. Relieved, Anakin stepped forward into the house. Avoiding Ruwee's vulture-like gaze, Anakin followed Padmé down a hallway to her bedroom, his shoulders beginning to ache from holding the bags for so long.

"You can put the bags over there," Padmé said in a strained voice, pointing over to an empty corner in the bedroom. Complying, Anakin noted with a start that these were the first words Padmé had spoken to him in a long while.

Dropping the bags down a little bit harder than he should have, Anakin turned around to see Padmé standing in the middle of the room, looking lost in her own bedroom. Unsure of what to do, Anakin stood awkwardly in the corner looking at her. Anakin hadn't felt this uncomfortable in his entire life. Should he say something? What was he supposed to be doing with his hands?

The last time he had been in this room, he had been similarly petrified, albeit for different reasons. He had changed so much since then, yet here he was in the same position. Nineteen-year-old Anakin Skywalker had been tongue-tied and utterly out of his element. He had been invited to accompany Padmé, the woman whom he had crushed on for a decade, into her bedroom.

Of course, nothing had happened then. He was ostensibly fulfilling the role of bodyguard and friend, and Padmé was merely being courteous. Nothing was going to happen this time either, Anakin thought with a perverse internal chuckle. He really hated this room.

Noticing that Anakin was staring at her, Padmé looked away quickly and gave a little cough. "Well… I'm going to see if I can help in the kitchen," she said lamely, turning to leave the room.

"Padmé, wait," Anakin said quickly. Padmé stopped and turned to look at Anakin, a questioning look on her face. Anakin hesitated. He didn't know what he wanted to say but he knew this was his only chance to say it.

"I…" Anakin's voice caught in his throat. "Never mind," he said finally. Padmé didn't go, however, and continued to look back at her husband with a sad expression. She too opened her mouth but then closed it again, evidently experiencing the same internal anguish as Anakin was.

After about thirty seconds, Padmé turned away to leave, leaving Anakin alone in the oppressive bedroom. Shutting his eyes tight, Anakin raked his hands through his messy hair in frustration. How was he going to fix this?


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Having spent two full days scouring the city of Mos Eisley, Obi-Wan had finally found information on the whereabouts of Shmi Skywalker. Obi-Wan had decided it was for the best that young Luke would be raised by his grandmother rather than by himself. Obi-Wan had been utterly lost trying to take care of such a young child. He suspected Luke knew this as well; the child had hardly ceased crying when he was in Obi-Wan's care for the past few days.

It was thus with great relief when he knocked on the front door of the Larses residence, the baby Luke miraculously asleep in Obi-Wan's left arm. Hoping to be greeted by Shmi, Obi-Wan was gravely disappointed when a man opened the door instead. He was further demoralized to notice that the man was carrying a rifle.

"What do you want?" he asked gruffly.

"Does Shmi Skywalker live here?" Obi-Wan asked, nervously fidgeting with his lightsaber using his free hand.

The man narrowed his eyes. "No. She's been dead for three years," he said.

Obi-Wan felt his optimism plummet into full on despair. Shmi was dead? How come Anakin had never told him?

"Owen, what's going on?" a female voice called from somewhere inside the house.

"Nothing," Owen replied. "You should leave," he said, turning back to Obi-Wan.

Panicking slightly at the prospect of having to raise Luke all by himself, Obi-Wan took a step forward. "No wait, you don't understand…"

"Owen?" From behind the suspicious man stood a kind-looking young woman, her light brown hair done up in a bun. "Who is this?"

Owen looked between Obi-Wan and the woman, apparently debating whether he should kick Obi-Wan out or not. Capitalizing on the opportunity, Obi-Wan answered.

"Obi-Wan Kenobi, Jedi Master," he said with a slight bow to the woman. "May I come inside? I have something I wish to discuss with you"

The woman's eyes widened in shock. She grabbed Owen's arm and pulled him away from the door. "Of course, please come in Master Kenobi," she said, giving Owen a stern look. "We would be happy to assist you."

Smiling kindly to his savior, Obi-Wan stepped in. Passing through the front door, baby Luke suddenly woke up and promptly began crying.

"Oh, who is this?" the woman asked.

"Erm… this is Luke," Obi-Wan said. Ignoring Owen's skeptical expression, the woman reached out.

"Let me take him," she said sweetly. Obi-Wan looked at her as if she had just kissed him. Handing Luke over, the writhing child calmed nearly instantaneously when the woman took him into her arms. "Oh, he's adorable!" she said.

Hanging up his rifle on the wall, Owen turned back to Obi-Wan and offered him his hand. "Owen Lars," he said, giving Obi-Wan a stiff handshake with the calloused hands of a farmer. "This is my wife Beru," he added, gesturing to the woman who was smiling adoringly back at Luke.

Obi-Wan nodded to each of them and gave Beru a faint smile. "Follow me," Owen said, leading Obi-Wan down the stairs into the main complex of the house. Pressing a button, a set of doors flew open revealing a pristine white kitchen. "Take a seat," Owen said, gesturing to the table.

As he sat down, Beru came into the kitchen, baby Luke still wrapped in her arms. She gestured to give him back to Obi-Wan, but Obi-Wan held up his hand. "No, it's alright," he said. "He likes you much better, anyway."

Beru frowned. "Is he not yours?" she asked.

Obi-Wan hesitated. Tatooine was so remote that the people here barely knew anything about the Jedi. Beru evidently was unaware that Jedi were forbidden to form connections with others. Was it truly a wise idea to ask that they assume the massive burden of raising the son of the most dangerous man in the galaxy?

"How did you know Shmi?" Obi-Wan asked abruptly, not answering Beru's question.

Owen glanced at his wife before answering. "She was my stepmother," he said. "She married my father, Cliegg Lars, about ten years ago."

"I see," Obi-Wan said, somewhat disappointed. He had been hoping that these people would be related to Luke somehow, but clearly that was not the case. If Shmi had been truthful and there had been no father, that meant that Luke had no other surviving relatives whom he could go to. Owen was the closest person to him in the galaxy who could look after him. "Are you familiar with Anakin Skywalker?" Obi-Wan asked, not expecting an affirmative.

"We met him a few years ago," Beru said as she continued to rock Luke in her arms.

"You did?" Obi-Wan said incredulously.

"Kind of a scary bloke," Owen said, scratching his chin. "He came here with some woman asking about Shmi." Obi-Wan blinked a few times, thinking about when this could have happened. What woman was Owen talking about? Had it been Padmé? Ahsoka? Someone else?

"I'm sorry, but why are you asking us this?" Beru asked.

Obi-Wan looked up to meet Beru's questioning eyes. "Anakin is Luke's father," he replied.

"Oh!" Beru exclaimed, her eyes bright. "How wonderful! That makes him your nephew, Owen!"

Owen made a noncommittal grunt, clearly less enthused about this than Beru was. "I barely knew the guy," he said gruffly, but Beru wasn't paying any attention to him.

"Where is Anakin, then? Is he on his way?" she asked innocently.

Obi-Wan looked away, a pained expression on his face. He hadn't expected this to be so difficult. He had planned on dropping off the baby and leaving, but now he realized he had a lot of explaining to do.

"Anakin has…" Obi-Wan paused, realizing that telling them that Anakin had 'turned to the Dark Side' would mean little to these people. "Anakin has become a very dangerous man," he said eventually.

"Dangerous? Dangerous how?" Beru asked.

Obi-Wan looked up at the ceiling, feeling frustrated. "He… he has joined forces with the Emperor. Have you heard about what happened?"

Owen nodded. "Yeah, some sort of a coup in the Inner Core, right? Honey, what was the planet called?"

"Coruscant," Beru provided.

"Right, Coruscant. The Republic is an Empire now, whatever that means."

Obi-Wan nodded absentmindedly. Maybe it was a good idea to leave Luke here. Tatooine was so distant from the Inner Core that he would no doubt be safe. Then again, Anakin might think to look here given that he was born and raised on Tatooine. But Anakin thought his child had died, why would he be looking for Luke at all?

"Well, Anakin helped overthrow the Republic. He is a terrible threat to the galaxy," Obi-Wan said, trying to emphasize the severity of the situation. "He doesn't know that Luke survived."

"What!" Beru said loudly. "You stole his child from him?"

Obi-Wan winced, realizing how bad this sounded. "You don't understand, Anakin must never find Luke."

"But he's his father!"

"He is a murderer!" Obi-Wan bellowed suddenly, shocking Beru. "He helped track down and kill all of the Jedi but myself. He slaughtered younglings without any regard for them! He is a monster who must be stopped. He… he…" Obi-Wan stopped, his throat constricted with emotion. "He was my friend," he said softly.

Beru and Owen were silent, glancing at each other with concerned expressions. Obi-Wan took a deep breath a composed himself. This was too important, he had to make sure they understood.

"The young man you met is gone," he said, as much to himself as to Owen and Beru. "Luke represents the only chance we have to stop him."

"And you want us to raise him," said Owen's voice. It was not a question. Obi-Wan turned to look at him.

"Yes," he said simply.

"What about his mother?" Beru asked. "Where is she?"

Again, Obi-Wan winced. "Dead," he said in a husky voice. "I… I believe Anakin killed her." Beru gasped, hugging Luke even tighter than before.

"Will you do this?" Obi-Wan asked solemnly, looking directly at Owen whom he knew would be the harder one to convince. Owen looked at his wife, seemingly overwhelmed by the choice in front of him. Beru for her part was staring back at Luke, a sad look in her eyes.

"I understand that this is a difficult decision –"

"We'll do it," Owen interrupted. "We will raise him."

Obi-Wan placed a hand on his chest and exhaled deeply. "Thank you," he said. "You will be doing a great service to the galaxy."

Beru looked up at her husband and gave him a radiant smile. Owen returned the smile weakly, a dazed and uncertain expression on his face. "We will raise him as our own," Beru said. "Luke Lars."

Obi-Wan nodded. It would be wisest to change the boy's first name as well, but he couldn't bear to suggest it. It had been Padmé's last wish, after all. Standing up, Obi-Wan walked over towards Beru to look at Luke for one last time. Leaning down, he planted a kiss on the baby boy's forehead.

"Thank you," he said again. "I cannot express how grateful I am."

"What about you? Where will you go?" Beru asked.

Obi-Wan frowned. He hadn't considered this question, having been so focused on Luke for the past few days. What was he going to do with himself? He had to stay near to look after Luke. He knew he owed this to Padmé at the very least.

"I don't know," he replied truthfully. "I have to stay on Tatooine. Besides that, I'm not sure."

Owen walked over and extended his hand to Obi-Wan. "We can help you. Tatooine can be a tough place to live for foreigners such as yourself." Shaking Owen's hand, Obi-Wan marveled at how he had managed to stumble across the two most generous people in the galaxy.

"Thank you, I would appreciate that," Obi-Wan said.

"You should probably change your name," Beru suggested. "Obi-Wan is a pretty conspicuous name, especially in a place like this."

"I suppose you're right," Obi-Wan said with a sigh. "I do like my name, though."

Laughing, Beru offered baby Luke to her reluctant husband. Scooping up the child with one large, calloused hand, Owen looked down at the child with an inquisitive look. Smiling, Obi-Wan felt satisfied that he had given Luke the best possible life he could given the circumstances. As he turned to leave, he remembered one last thing.

"Nobody can know I was here," he said. "If someone comes looking for me, you must pretend you've never heard my name. Revealing my presence may endanger Luke as well. Promise me you will do this."

Owen nodded at Obi-Wan, looking up from Luke. "You have our word," he said somberly. "You and Luke will be safe here."

Obi-Wan sure hoped he was right.

* * *

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

Jobal turned around to find Padmé standing at the entrance to the kitchen, her arms wrapped around her body as if she was shivering.

"No, that's alright, dear," she said, dropping a knife. "Have a seat."

Padmé complied, sitting down on a high stool by the island in the kitchen. Padmé watched absently as her mother went back to chopping up carrots for a stew.

"Where's Dad?" Padmé asked.

"He's out in the gardens," Jobal answered. "He's a bit shocked, to tell you the truth."

Padmé nodded, looking out the window at the chrysanthemums which were swaying cheerfully in the wind, the late afternoon sun casting a long shadow over the garden. Jobal ceased chopping, pouring the contents of the cutting board into a pot. Placing the board down, Jobal turned to her daughter with a concerned expression.

"Padmé, please talk to me," she said. "Your father and I are worried sick about you."

Padmé turned away from her mother's anxious eyes, this time focusing on the bubbling pot in front of her.

"You had to hide your relationship because Anakin is a Jedi, is that right?" Jobal asked.

With a grimace, Padmé looked back at her mother. Everything she had said was true except for one glaring component. She couldn't tell her about that, though. She would be horrified if she knew what he had become…

Instead, Padmé nodded her head in affirmation. Jobal pursed her lips as she continued to look at her daughter with great concern. "How long have you been together?" she asked.

"Three years," Padmé replied, not trusting herself to say anymore. She wasn't in the mood to speak in complete sentences at the moment.

"And the child?"

With this question Padmé finally broke down, great tears cascading down her cheeks onto the floor. She had kept this in for days, knowing all along that it was only a matter of time before the tears came. Sobs racked her body as Jobal scurried forward to give her daughter a hug.

"Shh, it's okay," Jobal cooed, stroking Padmé's hair gently. "Just let it out." Padmé didn't know how long they stayed like this. It could have been minutes or it could have been an hour; time seemed to have no meaning to her anymore. Padmé finally stopped crying when she felt her mother stiffen and look up at the sound of approaching footsteps.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…"

Separating herself from her mother, Padmé looked around to see Anakin standing awkwardly at the entrance to the kitchen. He had evidently cleaned himself up in an attempt to impress his parent-in-laws, as he was looking especially dapper in his black Jedi Robes.

"Are… are you alright, Padmé?" Anakin asked.

Padmé stared back at him blankly. Was she alright? What type of a question was that? Suddenly, she felt a surge of anger course through her at the sight of him. He had done this to her. To them. And here he was, standing in her parents' kitchen as if nothing was wrong.

"No," she said bitterly, standing up from the stool shakily. "But why should you care?" Leaving a stunned Anakin in her wake, she pushed past him and stormed off to her room. Slamming the door behind her, she fell into the bed and began to cry once again. Crying for her lost son and for the life her husband had stolen from her.

* * *

Padmé was staring sightlessly out her bedroom window, her face still wet from tears, when she heard a knock at the door. Sighing, Padmé put her face in her hands. She didn't want to have this conversation. Why couldn't he just leave her alone…

"Padmé?"

Padmé spun around in surprise. It was not Anakin standing in the doorframe, but her sister Sola. Her face, often twinkling with humor and bubbling over with enthusiasm, was grim and concerned.

"Sola," Padmé said with a watery smile. Taking this as permission to enter, Sola closed the door behind her and sat down by Padmé's side. Enclosing Padmé's hand with both of her own, Sola gave Padmé a probing look.

"Mom told me what happened," she said in a whisper. "Padmé, I'm so sorry."

Padmé shut her eyes tight and looked away, but she had no tears left to spend.

"Padmé, please look at me," Sola said urgently. Complying, Padmé opened her eyes and turned back to her sister. "What did he do to you?"

Padmé's eyes widened in surprise and fear. "Nothing! What are you talking –"

"Padmé," Sola said sternly, cutting Padmé off. "We're not blind. Mom said you lashed out at him in the kitchen."

"It's nothing, I just… we just…"

"We can help you, Padmé," Sola said in a low voice. "You have to tell us what is wrong. Is he abusing you?"

"No!" Padmé said quickly. "He… I–I can't tell you," she said lamely. Looking away from Sola's skeptical expression, Padmé sat up from the bed and walked over to the window, watching as the last rays of sunlight faded beyond the horizon.

"Why not?" Sola asked softly.

Padmé's lower lip trembled as the terrifying expression on Anakin's face on Mustafar flashed before her eyes. "It's...it's too terrible," Padmé said quietly. From behind her, she heard Sola stand up. Turning around, she saw the steely face of a determined and overprotective older sister looking back at her.

"Try me," she said firmly.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Sola held both of her hands over her mouth in shock as Padmé disclosed all the terrible details of the past few days in a hushed voice. Padmé had found that once she started, it became impossible for her to stop. Divulging these terrible secrets had been a cathartic experience for her, rather than the trying ordeal she had anticipated it being. Sola said nothing the entire time, allowing Padmé to speak uninterrupted, and only spoke after Padmé had finished.

"Padmé, you have to get away from him," she whispered, glancing towards the door as if frightened Anakin might overhear them. Padmé made a noncommittal shrug and looked out the window once more, squinting as the very last shards of light hit her face.

"He's a monster! Surely you must know that."

"Of course I do!" Padmé retorted quietly. "I just…"

"What?" Sola asked.

"I can't imagine living without him."

Sola gave her an incredulous look. "You can't be serious," she said, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

Padmé bit her lower lip and swayed a bit, unsure of how to explain herself to Sola. She knew it was wrong, but she couldn't pretend like she no longer loved Anakin. Yet at the same time she was terrified of what he had become and of what he planned to do. In the back of her mind, she couldn't help but feel partially responsible. How had she not seen this coming? Why had she been unable to prevent this?

Perhaps it was this small voice that was telling her that she had to stay, to try and make things right. There was still good in him, of this she was certain. She was the only one who could turn him back to the man he used to be. Didn't she have a responsibility to at least try?

"Padmé, I can tell you're miserable around him. You have to get away from him before it's too late."

She was miserable, there was little point in denying that. A large part of her agreed with Sola and pleaded with her to escape. But could she really do that? Could she abandon Anakin now? What would that do to him? If ever there was a time to save him, it was now. If she fled in a desperate attempt to save herself, she would be dooming him to a life of darkness. How could she do that to him?

"Padmé, I know what you're thinking," Sola said, reaching out and grabbing Padmé's arm. "You're blaming yourself for this. You can't do that. He is responsible for his own actions, okay? You can't condemn yourself to a life of misery because you feel guilty for something you're not responsible for."

Padmé looked up sharply, stunned by Sola's uncannily accurate assessment. Sola gave her a wry smile, taking Padmé's shocked expression as confirmation that she had been correct.

"Please tell me you'll at least consider it," Sola said, releasing Padmé's arm. "I can't bear the thought of you being so miserable for the rest of your life."

Padmé nodded and gave her sister a grim smile. "Please don't tell Mom and Dad," she said. "At least not right away."

Sola pursed her lips, clearly unhappy about this request. "Okay," she said reluctantly. "But you can't hide this forever."

"I know," Padmé said with a sigh. "Thank you, Sola."

Sola smiled once more and extended her hand to Padmé. "Come on, Mom's waiting for us."

Taking her sisters hand, Padmé followed her out of the room towards the kitchen. When the sisters arrived, Padmé was greeted with an intensely awkward situation. Her father sat at the head of the kitchen table, glaring at his newfound son-in-law who was seated next to him, determinedly staring at the empty bowl in front of him. Washing her hands in the kitchen was Jobal, who was clearly relieved to see Padmé and Sola join her.

"Oh, thank goodness," she said in a whisper. "Those two have sucked all the oxygen out of the room." Looking over at the two men once again, Padmé cringed as she foresaw the clash of personalities that was about to ensue. Was there still time to run back to her room and hide?

"Padmé, why don't you sit by Anakin?" Jobal said, pointing to the seat to Anakin's left. Glancing at Sola, Padmé drifted over to the table and sat down stiffly. Jobal sat down to her husband's right, and Sola next to her, directly across from Padmé.

Jobal's eyes flickered around the table. Coughing slightly in a fruitless attempt to ease the tension, she reached out to grab a bowl of steamed broccoli. "Well dig in, everyone," she said in a high voice.

"Allow me," Anakin said abruptly, causing everyone to spin their heads to look at him. With a cheeky smile, Anakin raised his hand, propelling all of the bowls into the air. Jobal, Ruwee, and Sola watched in awe as Anakin filled each of their bowls with stew and placed them back down in front of their intended recipients. Padmé meanwhile scowled at him with her arms crossed.

"What do you think you're doing?" she asked accusatively.

Surprised by the bitterness of her tone, Anakin's concentration broke momentarily, causing Sola's bowl to teeter perilously in the air. "What do you mean?" he asked innocently.

"What do you think Obi-Wan would say if he saw you do that?" she retorted provocatively.

Anakin's eyes flashed yellow for a fraction of a second. Startled, Padmé jumped back in her seat, her elbow colliding painfully with the side of the table. Much to her relief, Jobal and Ruwee hadn't seemed to have noticed this interaction, as they were still marveling at Anakin's display. Sola, however, was looking back at Padmé with a knowing look. Gulping, Padmé looked down at her bowl and clasped her hands in front of her.

"That was amazing, Anakin," Jobal said warmly. "I've never seen anything like that before!"

Ruwee grumbled something in agreement, begrudgingly admitting that Anakin perhaps did have some merits. Giving her parents sharp looks, Sola attempted to divert the conversation away from Anakin's talents.

"So Anakin, what's it like being a Jedi?" she asked.

"Sola!" Padmé exclaimed, outraged that her sister was deliberately attempting to sabotage the fragile peace. Anakin looked between Padmé and Sola with an inquisitive look.

"You told her, didn't you?" Anakin asked Padmé in a low voice. Padmé's heart skipped a beat as she looked up into Anakin's eyes. Much to her relief, he didn't seem angry.

"Tell me what?" Sola asked innocently. Anakin turned to look at her, his eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"Do tell us Anakin," Jobal said, oblivious to the tension that was brewing at the southern end of the table. "We've never met a Jedi before."

Anakin turned slowly to face Jobal, his eyes, which had fortunately regained their typical blue hue, were intense and fiery. He gave a singular, humorless laugh before replying. "That's funny," he said. "Neither have I."

Padmé closed her eyes and felt her heart deflate. Still oblivious, Jobal raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?" she asked, the cheeriness gone from her voice.

"The Jedi were a noble people," Anakin began, stirring the spoon in his bowl absentmindedly with his mind. "They valued the lives of all. They used their powers for good, to defend the defenseless." He paused and turned towards Padmé who refused to look him in the eye. "Those Jedi understood love, you see. They understood that love wasn't something to fear but something to cherish."

The table was silent, Jobal and Ruwee staring back at Anakin with perplexed expressions. "The Jedi Order became corrupt, incompetent, and repressive. They felt superior to others because of their powers so they secluded themselves in their temples and ceased fulfilling their obligations."

Padmé could take no more of this. "You're wrong!" she yelled, rising from her chair suddenly. "You've been lied to, Anakin! Can't you see that?"

Anakin rose up as well, towering over Padmé. "The Jedi betrayed me!" he bellowed, his eyes now firmly yellow and full of rage. "They were going to let you die!"

"Palpatine is evil, Anakin! He's manipulating you!"

"Don't you dare speak that way about my Master!"

"You're a fool, Ani! You're being played for a fool!"

"Stop this at once!" Ruwee had stood up as well, his fists clenched angrily at his side. "I will not permit this sort of fighting in my house! And you," he said, pointing his index finger at Anakin. "You will not speak to my daughter this way."

Petrified, Padmé watched in horror as Anakin turned slowly to face Ruwee, his face twitching with rage. "No!" she shrieked, throwing herself at Anakin and grabbing his arm. "Don't hurt him!"

Stunned, Anakin recoiled from Padmé, knocking over his chair in the process. The clamor seemed to shake Anakin out of his fury momentarily and his eyes returned to their normal hue once more. Apologizing, Anakin picked the chair up and pushed it into the table.

"It was a mistake for me to come here," Anakin said, avoiding eye contact with everyone. "I'll be going."

"Ani –"

"You will appreciate me in time, Padmé," Anakin said, turning to leave. "You will understand that I did all of this for you."

Padmé shook her head. "No, Ani," she said softly. "I will never understand."

Anakin's face twitched. Instead of replying, however, he stormed out of the kitchen, leaving a stunned room in his wake. A second later, the front door slammed closed and Anakin Skywalker was gone.

Padmé stood staring at the now empty door frame for a long time, the heated conversation echoing in her mind. She didn't notice, therefore, when Sola stood up and walked around the table. Sola placed her hand on Padmé's shoulder comfortingly.

"You need to get away from him, Padmé," she whispered to her. "He's dangerous."

Meanwhile, Jobal and Ruwee were looking at each other with deeply concerned expressions. "Padmé, what was that about?" Jobal finally asked. Padmé opened her mouth to answer, but her throat felt oddly constricted, so she closed it. Noticing her sister's predicament, Sola stepped in and relayed everything Padmé had told her a few minutes ago. Jobal watched Sola, becoming increasingly aghast with each new horrific detail. Ruwee was staring straight ahead, unflinching. His fingers were white from grasping the arms of his chair for so long.

When Sola had finished, Jobal looked at Padmé with a sad expression. "Padmé, your sister is right. You have to get away from this man."

Padmé nodded, feeling overwhelmingly tired all of a sudden. "I know," she said hoarsely. "I think I… I've been hoping that he'd come back." Padmé swallowed hard, fighting off a fresh batch of tears. "But I know he's gone. My Anakin is gone forever."

* * *

Anakin Skywalker, Dark Lord of the Sith, sat drearily by the bar in one of Theed's most shady establishments. How he had ended up here, Anakin couldn't be sure. He had stormed out of the Naberries house in a rage, but had regretted it as soon as he stepped foot in his speeder. Too proud to turn back, however, Anakin had zoomed off in the general direction of the capital but without any specific destination in mind.

Anakin, unsurprisingly, had never spent much time in bars. The Jedi had of course forbidden padawans from indulging in such frivolities. In fact, Anakin realized with a start, he had never drunk alcohol in his life. Jedi hadn't been forbidden from drinking, Obi-Wan after all had had a penchant for Corellian Whiskey back on Coruscant. But for whatever reason Anakin had never followed his master's suit.

Well, there was no time like the present, Anakin thought to himself moodily as he called over the bartender. A balding man who was missing his left eye meandered his way towards Anakin.

"What can I get ya'?" he asked in a rumbling voice.

"Er…" Anakin hesitated, realizing that he didn't have a clue what he was doing. "Do you have Corellian Whiskey?" The bartender nodded and turned around to pick a dusty bottle from the shelves.

Pouring an amber liquid into a glass, the bartender slid it across the bar towards Anakin. Taking the glass, Anakin analyzed the mysterious liquid for a moment. Noticing that the bartender was watching him quizzically, Anakin tipped the glass back and took a deep gulp.

_How does Obi-Wan stand this stuff? _Anakin thought as the whiskey burned his throat fiercely, making his eyes water. Sputtering, Anakin pushed the glass away from him in disgust.

"That's strong stuff," the bartender muttered, cleaning a glass with a dirty rag as he watched Anakin's spastic reaction with a grin. "Probably not a good choice for your first time."

Anakin raised his eyebrows in surprise, but found he couldn't reply due to the lingering burning sensation in his throat. His perplexed expression conveyed his question, however.

"I've been doin' this a long time," the bartender explained. "It's not hard to see you haven't had a drop to drink in your life."

"So what if I haven't," Anakin said indignantly, the pain in his throat finally beginning to subside. The bartender shrugged and resumed cleaning the glass.

"So why are you here, then?" he asked.

"That's none of your business," Anakin replied haughtily. The bartender raised an eyebrow, clearly unfazed by Anakin's defensiveness. Anakin looked around the bar to see if anyone was watching him. It couldn't hurt to talk with this man, Anakin thought to himself. He needed some form of an outlet, after all. Talking to his Master hadn't been as cathartic as he had hoped it would have been.

"I've had a rough few…" Anakin trailed off. He was going to say days, but then he thought it was perhaps more appropriate to say months. Then he figured maybe he should say years instead. Now he was questioning even that. His whole life had been rough, if he was being honest with himself. "Life has been harder than usual lately," he finally said in a colossal understatement.

"How so?" the inquisitive bartender asked, placing the glass down and leaning forward towards Anakin.

Anakin looked away, disconcerted by how genuine this man's attitude was. Wasn't this place supposed to be a dump? Why was this man acting so compassionate towards a complete stranger?

"I, uh…" Anakin said in a weak voice. "I lost my child."

The bartender nodded his head knowingly. "How long ago?" he asked.

"A… a couple of days ago," Anakin said, choking up slightly.

"The pain never leaves you," the bartender said. "It dulls a bit with time, but it'll always be with you." Anakin looked towards the one-eyed man quickly. Before Anakin could ask, however, the bartender answered. "I lost my daughter about a decade ago. Stillborn, you know. Was the worst thing that ever happened to me, including this," he said, pointing to his empty eye socket.

Anakin looked at the bartender with heightened interest. Who was this man?

"I'd wager that you're not here because of your child, though. At least not entirely. Am I right?"

Anakin nodded, utterly stunned by this strange man's insight. Taking Anakin's expression as confirmation that he had been right, the bartender continued. "Listen man, things get tough when you lose a kid. Most relationships don't make it. Mine certainly didn't. Don't know what else I can tell you but good luck." With that, the sagacious bartender drifted off leaving a stunned Anakin in his wake.

Blinking a few times, Anakin stared at the bar in front of him as he considered what the man had said. Was his relationship with Padmé falling apart? Sure, they had been on bad terms for the past few days, but Anakin had never considered that they could separate. What type of a life would he be able to live without Padmé? She _was _his life. Everything he did revolved around her.

And yet now she was distant to him. She was terrified by what he had done. But he had done it to save her! Why couldn't she understand that? He had saved her, after all. He was sure that he had made the right choice in turning against the Jedi because Padmé was alive and by his side. He shuddered to think what could have happened had he blindly followed Yoda and Obi-Wan's advice.

It had been much simpler when he was having the dreams. His fate was clear then: either Padmé died or he saved her. He had never considered what might happen after. To him, the means justified the ends. Padmé didn't see it that way, though. She saw him as a monster for what he had done. Secretly, Anakin agreed to an extent. But it didn't matter! He didn't care about anything as long as Padmé was safe…

What was he doing here? He ought to be with his wife! His life was meaningless without her. He needed to be with her, to make her understand. He would apologize for everything if it meant regaining her trust and love. He would renounce the ways of the Sith, swear never to use his lightsaber ever again, promise never to leave her side! He would do anything and everything!

Anakin sat up abruptly, adrenaline coursing through him. In his haste, he knocked over the stool he was sitting on. Embarrassed, he bent down to pick the stool back up. The rational side of his brain kicked in as he did so. He couldn't do anything he wanted to please Padmé. He was a Sith! He was the most powerful man in the galaxy after his Master. Why did he have to bow down to her? Why couldn't she appreciate him for who he was?

Feeling frustrated, Anakin stormed out of the bar, a few beady eyes following him as he left. He suddenly understood why alcohol was so appealing to many. He had so many conflicting thoughts coursing through him. It would be such a relief to dull his mind and forget his woes for a few hours…

Vaguely, Anakin realized that he had no idea where he was. Somewhere in Theed, he guessed. How he had got there and where his speeder was eluded him. Feeling overwhelmingly weary, Anakin put up his hood and meandered his way down the lonely street. He had to get back to Padmé, he decided. He would apologize, even if he didn't really mean it.

But not tonight. He was far too tired to do much of anything. For now, he had to find a place to crash. Who knew being a Sith Lord would be so depressing, Anakin thought to himself glumly.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The next morning, Anakin woke up feeling exhausted. He had discovered last night that hotels in Theed were ridiculously expensive, so it had taken him hours to find an establishment which he could actually afford. Being a Jedi wasn't the most lucrative career choice, after all.

Aching all over, Anakin had taken a cold shower and departed from the crummy hotel as quickly as he could. Luck would have it that he was able to find his speeder, although it took him nearly an hour of crisscrossing through Theed's congested downtown streets to locate it.

It was early afternoon when he finally departed the capital and began the hour-long drive to Padmé's parents' house. Along the way, it dawned on him that he had no idea what he was going to say. That he was sorry? For what, exactly? Would that be good enough?

Deep down, Anakin knew that it wasn't. Padmé wouldn't be easily convinced. Lying to her about feeling remorseful certainly wouldn't cut it. She could see straight through him. She would know that he wasn't being truthful.

Perhaps he could ask her what it was she wanted from him? But Anakin already knew the answer to that, although he didn't want to admit it. She would want him to turn on his Master! This was out of the question. He was eternally grateful to Sidious, he could never betray him like that. Sidious had saved her life, hadn't he?

Anakin paused to ponder this question a bit deeper. Had his Master actually done anything to save Padmé? He had just assumed that since she had survived, Sidious had been the one responsible. After all, he had guaranteed Anakin that he would save her if he turned to the Dark Side…

But it had been Yoda who had been at Padmé's bedside, not Sidious. He had blamed Yoda for not saving his child, and given all the credit of saving Padmé to his Master. Now that he thought about it, this didn't make much sense. What if… what if he had been lied to all along? What if Padmé hadn't been destined to die and Sidious had been the one responsible for the dreams? What if that was how he intended to lure Anakin to the Dark Side?

Anakin shook himself from his mutinous thoughts when he noticed that he was veering off the road. Straightening the speeder hastily, Anakin chided himself for questioning his Master. He had no reason to be suspicious of him! Sidious had done nothing but support Anakin his entire life. He would never have done something like that… right?

A small voice whispered that yes, that was very much the type of thing a Sith would do. The Jedi had taught him all his life that the Sith were conniving, heartless monsters hell-bent on destroying all that was good in the galaxy. But those were the Jedi. Dogmatic fools who had been so obsessed with their own powers that they were blinded from reality. Surely they hadn't presented him an accurate assessment about the true nature of the Sith.

Anakin was therefore feeling immensely conflicted when he arrived in the sleepy village where Padmé's family lived. What was he going to say to Padmé? Was Sidious really his friend? Was he going to go insane? He had no answers to these questions by the time he knocked on the front door of the Naberrie's home.

Much to Anakin's dismay, when the door opened he was greeted by Ruwee. Looking surprised to see him, Ruwee recovered quickly and adopted his most hostile expression. "What do you want?" he asked gruffly, his hand still on the door handle, ready to slam the door in Anakin's face.

"I need to talk to Padmé," Anakin said, mustering as much sincerity as he could manage. "It's urgent."

Ruwee narrowed his eyes and scowled at Anakin. "Is that so?" he said suspiciously.

"I want to apologize," Anakin said. "Please, just let me see her."

Ruwee said nothing for a while, his face still scrunched up in dislike and distrust. Then, much to Anakin's surprise, he stepped aside. "Perhaps you should come in," he said.

Relieved, Anakin followed Ruwee into the house towards the kitchen. There he found Jobal sitting at the table, a somber expression on her face. The moment Anakin entered, however, she rose in shock. "What is he doing here?" she asked shrilly, looking at her husband.

"Said he wanted to apologize," Ruwee muttered, moving to stand next to Jobal.

Jobal scoffed derisively. Anakin had never seen his mother-in-law like this. Although to be fair, he had only met her twice before. "It's too late for that," she said bitterly.

"Please, just let me talk to her," Anakin said, irritated by their obstinacy. "I promise I'll leave if she asks me to."

Jobal's face softened a fraction, perhaps sensing the honesty in Anakin's words. "She's not here," she said stiffly.

"Not here? What do you –"

"She left you this," Jobal produced a letter from her pocket and slid it across the table to Anakin. Concerned, Anakin ripped the carefully sealed letter open.

_Dear Anakin,_

_I have left Naboo. If you still care about me, I ask you not to try and find me and to spare my family. I still love you and I will never stop loving you, but I cannot stand by your side anymore. The things you have done are simply too terrible for me to bear. Surely you must understand why I cannot condone your actions._

_I am so sorry that it has come to this. If you want to return to me, I will accept you only after you acknowledge the errors in your ways and abandon your wretched Master. If you cannot do this, then this is goodbye forever. I know there is still good in you, Anakin. I hope you will be able to make the right decision and come back to me._

_Love,_

_Padmé_

Anakin looked up from the letter with his mouth hanging open. Trembling, he dropped the letter back down onto the table. Jobal was clutching Ruwee in terror while Ruwee was staring back at Anakin with a steely expression.

"Where is she?" Anakin asked in a whisper. Jobal and Ruwee said nothing. "WHERE IS SHE!" he bellowed, his vision darkening with rage. "I KNOW YOU KNOW!"

"We don't know," Ruwee said strongly, undeterred by Anakin's wrath. "She refused to tell us."

Roaring in frustration, Anakin dug his fingernails into his forehead. She couldn't be gone! Anakin thundered his way towards the hallway. As he approached, Jobal shrieked in terror, but Anakin paid her no heed as he marched towards Padmé's bedroom.

Wrenching the door open, he began to search frantically as he had on Polis Massa. He didn't know what he was looking for. Perhaps a clue about where she had gone? An indicator that the letter had been a trick and that she was actually still here?

But of course, he found nothing. Padmé's room was empty with the exception of his own bag, sitting alone in the corner without its companion. Frenzied, he tore the sheets off the bed, threw books off the shelves, and ripped pictures off the walls, all in a desperate attempt to find something.

Collapsing in a heap on the floor amidst the carnage, Anakin put his face in his hands and screamed. How could this have happened? How could she had left him!

* * *

In a somber silence, the two sisters stood side by side as they watched the sleek, newly purchased spaceship descend towards them. They both kept their hoods up, glancing around occasionally to see if anyone was watching them. Padmé had no idea where Anakin had gone to or if he was even still on Naboo, but she knew she had to be careful regardless.

While she hid it from Sola, she was still feeling terribly conflicted about leaving Anakin. She hoped that he would read her letter and do the right thing, but she knew that that was unlikely. If she had learned anything from the Jedi it was that when one descended to the Dark Side they could never come back. She had seen the Darkness in Anakin's eyes – there was no turning back for him now.

And yet she paradoxically also knew that there was still good in him. Anakin wasn't completely gone. How could she reconcile these two perceptions? Did she not have an obligation to help him? Running away now would be the death knell for him.

Sola nudged her sister gently, causing her to awaken to her surroundings. "The ship's ready," Sola said quietly. "You should go."

Padmé nodded, picking up her bag. "Padmé, wait," Sola said. Padmé turned around to look at her sister. "You sure you don't want to tell me where you're going?"

Padmé shook her head vigorously. "Sola, we've been through this! He will get the information out of you. You can't know."

"Okay, okay," Sola said, sighing heavily. "Will you be safe wherever you're going?"

Padmé considered this question. The honest answer was probably not. She doubted anyone was truly safe on Tatooine. But if Obi-Wan was still there, she would find him. She didn't know why she felt so determined to find him. Perhaps it was because he was the last sane person she knew in an otherwise insane galaxy. Regardless, she had set her mind the second she had decided to leave.

"I'll be fine," Padmé concluded, attempting to give Sola a reassuring smile. "Don't worry about me."

Sola frowned, clearly unsatisfied with Padmé's answer. She didn't object, however. "Will you contact me when you arrive?"

Padmé shook her head. "I can't risk it, Sola. He could track the signal down. You don't understand how persistent he can be. He will do anything to track me down."

"Oh, Padmé," Sola said, stepping forward to give her a crushing hug. "It's so terrible."

Separating, Padmé picked up her bag again and adopted a determined expression. "I know. But this is not goodbye, Sola," she said as strongly as she could. "I am sure of that. Send our parents my love." With that, Padmé turned around towards her ship, bidding her sister and her home goodbye for what could very well be the last time.

* * *

Darth Sidious was sitting at his desk in his old office in the Senate building, attending to some mundane administrative matters, when he felt a terrible, wrenching sensation in his gut. Wincing in pain, the Emperor stood up from his seat and keeled over. What was this pain? It was agonizing in the most excruciating manner, yet it wasn't physical in the objective sense of the word.

Stumbling to his feet, Sidious leaned heavily against the side of his desk and contemplated the sensation. The Force was rippling about him powerfully. Only one man could affect the Force so singularly and so poignantly. Darth Vader was angry. Very angry.

But there was more. Vader wasn't just angry, he was devastated. What could possibly have made Vader feel this way? It didn't seem as if he was in any physical pain, otherwise Sidious would have felt that. No, this was purely psychological.

Overwhelmed with curiosity, Sidious rummaged through his pocket and produces his holocom device. Setting it down on his desk, Sidious sat down and turned the device on. Putting in Vader's code, Sidious waited for his apprentice to respond.

After a few moments, Vader's form emerged in front of him, flickering slightly. He was clearly distressed, panting heavily as he kneeled before his Master. "Yes, my Master?" Vader said in a strained voice.

Sidious contemplated his apprentice's appearance with disapproval. "You have caused a great disturbance in the Force, Lord Vader," he said icily. "What has happened?"

Vader swallowed hard, seemingly unable to make eye contact with Sidious' hologram. His shoulders were trembling slightly as if he were about to cry. "P-Padmé is gone," he said in a wavering voice. "Sh-she left me."

It took all of Sidious' willpower not to cackle in delight. He had succeeded! Oh, how easy it had been! Vader was his and his alone now! Amidala had been his greatest threat, now that the Jedi had been destroyed. And now she too was out of the picture.

"I see," Sidious said coldly, careful to keep his glee out of his voice.

"I need to find her!" Vader said frantically. "I-I need to make her understand!"

"No, my young apprentice," Sidious said firmly. "You must let her go. She is a weakness to you, Lord Vader. It is for the best that she is gone."

Vader's eyes widened in disbelief. "Wh-what do you mean?" he asked.

"She doesn't love you anymore," Sidious said cruelly. "She is afraid of your powers. Only through me can you fulfill your potential. Amidala would only hold you back."

Vader was clearly unhappy with this assessment. "No, no… I need to find her, I –"

"Do you question me, Lord Vader?" Sidious asked ominously, his pale-yellow eyes narrowing as he stared into Vader's manic blue ones.

"No, my Master –"

"Then you will forget her," Sidious said. "Padmé Amidala is dead to you now. If you truly are Darth Vader, you will cut yourself off from everything that was of importance to Anakin Skywalker. Do I make myself clear?"

Vader remained silent for a few moments as he stared back at Sidious with a petrified expression. Finally, he opened his mouth to speak. "Yes, my Master," he said, bowing his head. Unconvinced of his sincerity, Sidious leaned forward.

"You will not look for Amidala. If I find that you have disobeyed my wishes, then the punishment will be severe."

"Yes, my Master," Vader repeated.

"Good," Sidious said, a smile stretching across his face. "I want you to come back to Coruscant immediately. You have no reason to be on Naboo anymore."

After Vader bowed his head one last time, Sidious cut off the feed and leaned back in his chair, his arms rested on the back of his head. Victory felt so sweet! Vader was his and Amidala was finally out of the picture.

But would his apprentice be fully obedient? Sidious was no fool. He knew Vader still obsessed over Amidala. It sickened Sidious how devoted the man was to her. Vader would no doubt attempt to find her without Sidious' knowledge.

But how could he find her? She could be anywhere in the galaxy by now. Amidala was a resourceful woman. If she wanted to be hidden, he was sure that Vader would be unable to find her. Yes, she was doing his job for him! Vader was now alone in the galaxy with only Sidious to turn to! His wife had abandoned him, his child was dead, and the Jedi were all but extinct. The only potential threat was that fool Kenobi, and Sidious doubted that there would ever be any rapprochement between the former friends. Indeed, Vader was fully in his grasp now.

* * *

After a short journey as Tatooine was very close to Naboo, Padmé arrived in the Mos Espa spaceport in her shiny new ship. After having given the ground crew a hefty 'tip' to keep her ship safe from Jawas or other opportunists, Padmé made her way into the dusty city. She had decided to wrap her face up in a thin cloth to hide her identity. It worked perfectly, because nobody would ask why she was wearing it in a planet where sandstorms were common.

Quickly, however, she realized that she had no idea where to go or what to do. She hadn't told Obi-Wan where specifically to go on Tatooine. She had just assumed that he would be in Mos Espa because that was where nine-year-old Anakin had lived with his mother, Shmi. But Obi-Wan could be anywhere on the planet. He could still be looking for Anakin for all she knew.

Then a thought came to her. What if he had gone to find Shmi? After all, it made sense that Obi-Wan would think that Anakin had gone to find his mother. As far as she knew, Obi-Wan didn't know that Shmi was dead. Anakin had never divulged to his former master that he had gone to Tatooine with Padmé three years ago.

If Obi-Wan had figured out that Shmi had been sold to the Larses all those years ago, then he would have gone to Mos Eisley which was on the opposite side of the planet. He would have quickly found out that Shmi was gone and that Anakin wasn't on Tatooine, but it was a lead nonetheless. With a sigh, Padmé turned around to go back to the spaceport, chiding herself for not considering this before, consequently losing valuable time in the process.

Although it was no doubt a gross waste of fuel, Padmé decided to fly into space out of Mos Espa, leaving the atmosphere of Tatooine before reentering its northern hemisphere where Mos Eisley was. She knew it was unlikely that Obi-Wan was still on Tatooine, but if he was she had to move as quickly as she could if she hoped to find him.

And then what? Say she did find Obi-Wan, what would she do? Tell him how to find Anakin so he could kill him? No, she couldn't possibly do that. Besides, she didn't know where Anakin was anymore. It was highly unlikely that he would stay on Naboo for long after he found out what she had done.

Padmé forced herself to stop thinking about the future. Whenever she did, she couldn't help but get depressed. Her future was completely obfuscated to her now. Her child and her husband were now gone. What would she do? Fight against the Empire? Would there be some sort of rebellion she could provide her services to? Perhaps Bail would know more about that…

Arriving in the considerably dingier Mos Eisley spaceport, Padmé repeated the process she had performed in Mos Espa. Having wrapped up her face and bribed some bored looking Gamorreans to look after her ship, she made her way out into the city. After having rented a speeder, Padmé realized grimly that she was running short on funds. She could of course tap into her bank reserves, but Anakin could trace her if she did that. Besides, she wasn't sure it was even possible to access her bank account from Tatooine.

Driving off away from the city, Padmé had to squint heavily as Tatooine's binary suns descended below the horizon, casting the desert into a brilliant red and orange tinge.

After about an hour, the distinctive dome of the Larses residence came into view. Taking a deep breath, Padmé rechecked her appearance in the side mirror. While she trusted the Larses, it was simply too much of a risk to reveal her identity to them. She considered in that moment that they may not let her in. After all, why should they let a suspicious, veiled stranger into their home?

Deciding that she would cross this hurdle when she reached it, Padmé swung the door of the speeder open and stepped out. Reaching the front door, Padmé knocked heavily three times. _Please answer, please answer, please answer…_

"Ben, you're back so soon –" the door swung open, revealing the kind, round face of Beru Lars. She was carrying in her left arm a tiny newborn baby. Upon seeing Padmé, Beru froze and clutched the baby tighter. "Who are you?" she asked stiffly.

"I'm sorry to bother you," Padmé said. "My name is… Jobal. Do you mind if I come in? I was hoping to ask you something."

"What do you want?" Beru asked suspiciously.

"I…" Padmé hesitated, her eyes gravitating to the baby in Beru's arms. Padmé could tell that the baby was barely a few days old, but remarkably the child was staring at her with spectacular blue eyes. Weren't babies that young not able to see objects that weren't directly in front of them?

Noticing what Padmé was staring at, Beru looked down at the baby in her arms, her face softening a bit as she did. "His eyes are incredible, aren't they?" she said with unmistakable pride.

"They are," Padmé said, feeling strangely hollow inside. Continuing to stare back at the baby, Padmé though cynically that she could somehow use this boy somehow to get Beru to talk to her. "What's his name?" she asked.

"Luke," Beru said cheerfully, clutching the child lovingly. Padmé felt as if a ton of bricks had hit her. That had been the name of her son. Luke Skywalker…

"Luke Lars," Beru said, oblivious to Padmé's sorrow. "Are you alright?" she asked, looking up from Luke to see Padmé's dumbfounded expression.

"Yes," Padmé said softly. "It's just… I just lost my son."

Beru's eyes widened. "Oh, I'm so sorry," she said with genuine compassion. Looking beyond Padmé at the horizon with a nervous expression, Beru beckoned Padmé forward. "Why don't you come in," she said. "It's dangerous to stay outside for long around these parts."

Padmé knew she should have felt victorious as she stepped into the house, but she couldn't muster up any enthusiasm in the moment. She couldn't take her eyes off of the little Luke Lars. He was about as old as her son would have been. What were the odds? Closing the door behind her, Beru turned to look at Padmé with a sympathetic expression.

"Here," she said, offering little Luke to Padmé. "Why don't you hold him?" Stunned, Padmé recoiled a bit at the offer.

"No, I couldn't possibly –"

"I insist," Beru said firmly, all but thrusting Luke into her arms.

With great caution, Padmé reached out and scooped up the baby into her arms. Pulling him into her chest, Padmé looked down into little Luke's eyes with awe. His eyes were sparkling, looking back into Padmé's with a curious intensity. Those eyes were somehow familiar to Padmé, yet she couldn't explain how.

A wave of emotions crashed over Padmé as she rocked baby Luke in her arms. She had been robbed of this opportunity when her own son had been born. For whatever reason, she had never been shown the body. She had never been able to hold her son. Yet now here she was, holding Luke Lars to her bosom as if he were her own. Peering into Luke's spectacular eyes, she felt a simultaneous jolt of elation and a crushing sense of despair. Anakin had robbed her of this experience. She would never get to be a mother because of his greed and lust for power…

Beru watched Padmé curiously for a long while. Finally, she reached out to take Luke back, feeling slightly guilty to take the boy away from the clearly crestfallen woman. "Why don't you follow me," she said in a delicate voice. Giving up Luke reluctantly, Padmé followed Beru with a dazed expression.

Entering the kitchen, she found Owen Lars sitting at the table reading something on a holopad. When Beru entered with Padmé behind her, he stood up abruptly. "Who is this?" he asked sharply.

"This is Jobal," Beru said, laying Luke down in a crib next to the kitchen table. Owen gave Beru a questioning look, clearly unhappy that she had invited a stranger into their home.

"What do you want?" he asked her.

"I'm sorry to intrude on you like this –"

"Why don't you take that scarf off, dear?" Beru interrupted.

Padmé hesitated. This was not going to go well. "I… I'd rather not," she said lamely. Owen raised his eyebrow, his suspicions growing. "As I was saying, I'm sorry to interrupt you like this. I was just looking for… for a friend of mine. I heard that he might have been out here."

Beru took a step towards Luke's crib. "What friend?" she asked, the compassion gone from her voice.

"His name is Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan Kenobi."

"We've never heard of any Obi-Wan," Owen said quickly, taking a step forward so that he was in front of Beru. "I think it's best if you left."

Padmé felt herself deflate in disappointment. "I see…" she said, utterly dismayed. "Well… I guess I'll be going." Turning around to leave, she noticed that Owen followed her from a distance to make sure she didn't try anything on her way out.

Closing the front door behind her, Padmé began to walk towards her speeder but paused. Turning her head, she noticed a pair of headstones in the distance. As if drawn towards it magnetically, Padmé changed directions. Reaching the headstones, Padmé collapsed in the sand in front of the one on the right.

"I'm so sorry, Shmi," she whispered to her mother-in-law. "I couldn't save him." Her eyes burning with tears, Padmé put her face in her hands and began to sob. She had never felt so alone.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Padmé was feeling utterly dejected when she left Tatooine later that afternoon. It had been a longshot to try and find Obi-Wan here, she reckoned. He could be anywhere on the inhospitable rock, or he could be somewhere else in the galaxy entirely. Obi-Wan was as impossible to find as she hoped she was to her husband.

In the back of her mind she had always suspected that failure was the most probable outcome. Therefore, it didn't take her long to decide where to go next: Alderaan. She would find her friend and ally Bail Organa, whom she suspected would be much easier to find than Obi-Wan. Organa would be able to protect her, she reasoned. Moreover, if there was to be a resistance against the Empire and to Palpatine, Organa would no doubt be a leading member.

Entering the coordinates to Alderaan into her ships navigational computer, Padmé piloted the ship off the ground and out of Mos Eisley. Once she had sufficiently escaped Tatooine's gravitational pull, she pulled the lever and went hurtling off into hyperspace. Leaning back in the pilot's chair, Padmé was grateful that she had decided to get her pilot's credentials a few years ago. Anakin had scoffed at her at the time, insisting that she didn't need to be a pilot when she was married to the 'best star pilot in the galaxy.' Padmé cracked a grim smile thinking about this. She had gotten the last laugh, she supposed.

Unable to sleep because she had no second in command, Padmé pinched her arm occasionally to keep awake during the long journey back into the Inner Core where Alderaan was. Padmé tried her best to keep her mind blank, to not think about the horrible situation she was in. Inevitably her mind drifted, however.

Anakin's fiery yellow eyes were burned in her retinas, appearing whenever she closed her eyes. Padmé therefore made a concerted effort to keep her eyes open, staring off into hyperspace unseeingly. The pudgy face of Luke Lars kept popping into her head, the feeling of the baby's body against her own still imprinted indelibly on her mind. She was looking deep into Luke's blue eyes when suddenly they too had transformed into a horrific yellow. She couldn't look away, transfixed by the evil expression glinting in the baby's face…

Padmé jolted awake. She had fallen asleep in the cockpit. Cursing herself for her recklessness, Padmé curled her back and felt it crack and pop in relief. Rubbing her sore neck which had been propped in an uncomfortable position, Padmé looked up to see that she was no longer in hyperspace, the blue orb of Alderaan looming in front of her.

Grateful that her ship's computer had managed to guide her while she had been asleep, Padmé switched off the cruise control and resumed control over the vessel. Entering the orbit of Alderaan, Padmé burnt some more fuel to orient herself directly over Aldera, the capital of the planet. Once she had double checked that her coordinates were accurate, Padmé plunged the ship into Alderaan's atmosphere.

Dipping into the clouds, Padmé's ship was quickly surrounded by two smaller fighter vessels which hailed her. "Unidentified vessel, state your name and purpose or we will open fire," a voice said over the comlink.

Padmé took a deep breath, realizing that she hadn't considered how she was going to get to the surface. Tatooine had been easy given that it was practically a lawless planet, but Alderaan was a different manner altogether. Activating her comlink, Padmé responded. "I cannot reveal my identity over the air," she said. "I have to speak to the Viceroy urgently."

Padmé received no response for nearly a minute. When the com spoke again, she was greeted with a different voice. "Unidentified vessel, you will be escorted to a landing platform where your vessel will be searched."

"Understood," Padmé responded, following the two escort fighters down to the surface. Landing on an elevated platform next to an imposing metal skyscraper, Padmé made her way out of the cockpit to the ship's rear. The moment she entered, the ship's door was forced open, blinding Padmé with a shock of bright light. Caught off guard, she noticed a trio of armed guards run into the ship and knock her to the ground.

Indignant, Padmé struggled but was unable to free herself. Pulling her upright roughly, the guards cuffed her and dragged her off the ship. Still squinting in the bright light, Padmé writhed against her captor's strong grips.

"Let me go!" she cried, lashing out and landing a kick on one of the guard's shins with her pointed boot. Bellowing in pain, Padmé managed to spring free from the other guard and bolted away, not knowing where she was going.

"Stun her!" a voice from behind her called. She had reached the edge of the platform when her entire body went numb and she collapsed, landing hard on her face and losing consciousness.

* * *

Padmé woke up to find herself tied to a chair with a bag over her head. Groaning, she struggled briefly to free herself from her restraints but found it to be impossible. She heard muffled voices around her, but couldn't understand what they were talking about. After about a minute, the bag was taken off her head and Padmé sighed in relief.

There was Bail Organa standing in front of her, a look of intense suspicion on his face. Vaguely, she noted that they must have brought her to the Palace on Aldera, as she was seated in the middle of a grandiose circular room, light pouring in from majestic, high arching windows.

The moment Bail laid his eyes on her, his face paled and his eyes widened to comical proportions. As she could see that he was rendered speechless, Padmé decided to speak first. "Hello, Bail," she said conversationally. "I see you treat your guests well."

Bail didn't seem to register this comment as the color continued to drain out of his face, concerning Padmé considerably. What was wrong with him? Finally, Bail spoke. "You're alive?" he asked in a hoarse whisper. "Padmé, is that really you?"

Padmé frowned in confusion. "Of course I'm alive, what are you talking about?"

"B-but Yoda told me…" Bail trailed off, an expression of utter confusion etched across his face. "Release her," he ordered tersely to someone behind her. With a slight pop, Padmé felt her restrains come undone. Rubbing her wrists gingerly, Padmé stood up from her chair.

"Thank you," she said.

Bail nodded his head absently, his mouth still slightly agape. "Why don't we go out on the patio," he said hoarsely after a few silent moments. Leading the way, Bail led her out of the throne room and out on to a semi-circular patio overlooking the breathtaking Alderaanian mountain ranges. Gesturing to a plush velvet armchair, Bail sat down across from her on a couch. "I apologize for the rude welcome," he said. "We can't be too careful in these times, as I'm sure you know." Padmé said nothing, still curious about Bail's strange behavior. "I just can't believe it," he said eventually, shaking his head slightly.

"I don't understand," Padmé said. "Why did you think I was dead?"

"Master Yoda told me you had died. I was on Polis Massa when Anakin arrived with you," he clarified, addressing Padmé's confused expression. "I assumed you had died in childbirth."

"Maybe you misheard him?" she suggested tentatively. "It was my son who died, not me."

Bail froze, his eyes narrowed as he stared back at Padmé unblinkingly. "Your son?" he said slowly.

"Yes," Padmé said. "Or at least I think he was a boy, I never got to see…" Padmé trailed off, the pain returning with overwhelming force. "I never saw the body," she finished in a whisper, her eyes fixated on the ground. Bail said nothing for a long time, which was fine for Padmé who wasn't sure if she was going to be able to speak again.

"I suspect we were both misinformed," Bail said after a long silence. Before Padmé could ask what he meant, Bail had stood up and left the patio, leaving a bewildered Padmé in his wake. A few moments later he reappeared, a tiny baby wrapped in a white blanket in his arms. "Padmé, your child didn't die," he said. "This is your daughter."

Padmé was too stunned for words. This couldn't possibly be true. How could it be? Her child had died! But as Bail walked towards her and deposited her daughter into her arms, Padmé knew instantly that he was telling the truth. Her whole body hummed as if in a physical confirmation that this was indeed her child. The baby girl, much like her mother, had dark brown eyes and a tuft of chocolate-colored hair. Much like with baby Luke Lars, Padmé felt as if the whole world had dissolved around her, leaving her alone in the universe with her daughter. Only vaguely did she register Bail's voice.

"I told Yoda that Breha and I would raise her," he said in a distant voice. "We haven't yet named her. We didn't know what you would have wanted her to be called."

"Leia," Padmé said instantly, absorbing every detail of her baby girl's angelic face. "Her name is Leia."

* * *

Bail watched from the doorframe as Padmé and Breha fussed over baby Leia. While Breha had certainly been a little bit disappointed to learn that her new baby girl was going to be taken away from her, she had done an admirable job at stowing away her feelings for Padmé's sake. Bail knew he should have felt happy for Padmé and for little Leia, but he couldn't seem to muster up the enthusiasm.

Of course, Bail too had been reluctant to give away his newly adopted daughter. Breha and he had tried for years to produce a child with no luck, and Bail had been overwhelmed with joy when Leia had entered his life.

The real dampener on Bail's mood, however, had nothing to do with Leia and everything to do with her twin brother Luke. Bail hadn't told Padmé that she had had twins. While it seemed preposterous, it was quite apparent that Padmé hadn't known. Now Bail was faced with a predicament of mythical proportions: should he tell her that her son was with Obi-Wan on Tatooine? On the surface, the question seemed easy. Of course he should! Padmé had every right to know about her son. But Master Yoda had been adamant that the children be separated. What if Bail ruined everything by revealing Luke's whereabouts to Padmé?

But Yoda had been wrong about Padmé's death. Maybe he would have had a different outlook on the situation had he known their mother had survived. Yet Bail couldn't ask Yoda. He had not heard from the Grandmaster since leaving Polis Massa and while it pained him to think it, he suspected that Skywalker had killed Yoda when he had brought him the bad news about his child's fictitious death.

So now Bail had to exercise his own judgment, which was a terrifying prospect. Yoda had been adamant that the children must be separated; he had said that the fate of the galaxy rested on this. Who was he to disobey this direct order? Bail didn't know much about the Force, but he suspected that if the children were kept together, their father might be able to find them somehow.

Bail was so deep in thought that he barely noticed when Breha stood up and walked over towards him. "Hmm?" he asked, not having heard what she had said to him.

"I said Padmé is going to be a wonderful mother, don't you think so?"

Bail nodded absently, an overwhelming sense of guilt crushing him. He hadn't told Breha the full story about what had happened on Polis Massa as he had decided that the fewer people that knew about Luke the better. "I know how you're feeling, Bail," Breha said, placing a hand on his cheek. "But we couldn't keep her. She belongs with her mother."

"I know," Bail said, looking beyond Breha to see a Padmé's radiant smile at her daughter. "It's for the best," he added with much more meaning than Breha could possibly know. _Padmé must not know, _he thought to himself. _I will not betray Yoda's wishes._

* * *

Anakin was standing in the middle of the living room in Padmé's apartment on Coruscant feeling utterly lost and out of place. He felt as if he didn't belong here now that Padmé wasn't with him. He didn't know what he was supposed to do with himself now.

It had been in this room where he had met Padmé as a young man. In retrospect, he realized how forward he had been with her, complimenting her unabashedly for her beauty. Now he stood here after having driven her away, unsure if he would ever see her again. Collapsing onto a couch, Anakin contemplated his future without Padmé. Was there any point in living without her? Everyone he had cared about was now gone. His mother, Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, Ahsoka, and now Padmé. His Master Darth Sidious was all he had left, Anakin thought bitterly.

He was beginning to doubt his Master more and more. Palpatine would have understood how Anakin felt now and would have offered advice or assistance. Sidious, however, barely was able to contain his mirth upon hearing the news that Padmé had abandoned him. Sidious had insisted that Anakin not search for her, claiming that she was a weakness for him.

This couldn't be further from the truth! Padmé represented all that was good about Anakin. And yet Anakin knew better than to defy his Master's explicit orders. He couldn't go looking for her. Besides, he didn't have the foggiest idea where she would have gone to anyway.

Anakin stood up from the couch abruptly. It had been a mistake to come back here. He knew he would only find pain here. He was sick of pain. His entire life had been defined by pain, with the exception of when he was with Padmé. And now she too had hurt him, casting the worst pain of all upon him by leaving him.

Oh, how he wished to be rid of this pain! His Master wanted him to forget her. Part of him wished he could do this. If only he could denounce her as unfaithful and unworthy of his affections or considerations! Her betrayal wouldn't sting as much as it did now if he could adopt this mindset.

But wasn't that what the Jedi had taught him to do? When he had gone to Master Yoda to seek advice about his nightmares, he had told him to let go and absolve himself of all attachments. Only then would he be able to avoid suffering. Sidious had told Anakin that the dark side was not as restrictive as the light, that attachments were not restricted to the Sith like they were to the Jedi. Yet was his Master not currently trying to separate Anakin from Padmé just like Yoda had tried to do?

Anakin felt like a fool for trusting Sidious so blindly. The more he thought about it, the more he realized that Padmé was right. Sidious was manipulating him, using him as a pawn in his game, and Anakin had let him. But he could see through the lies now. The Jedi and the Sith were no different at all, both had wanted to use Anakin as their puppet without considering what he had wanted.

But what Anakin wanted didn't matter anymore. All he had wanted was to be with Padmé and to have a family. Through his carelessness, he had rendered that future impossible. Padmé had abandoned him and his child was dead. Sidious had won and Anakin was stuck by his side. He would be forced to do his Master's bidding, not because he wanted to, but because he had no one else left in the world.

Anakin Skywalker was truly gone, he realized with a start. What had defined him was his love for the people around him. Now that he had no friends nor loved ones, he would become a shell of his former self. Darth Vader was all alone.

END OF BOOK 1


	8. Chapter 8

**BOOK 2**

Nineteen years later

Chapter 8

Padmé had been inconsolable for the past few days. At first she had been angry, furious beyond measure, at Bail Organa. It was his fault after all that this had happened. The one person she loved in the entire Galaxy, the very light of her life, had been taken away from her because of Bail's carelessness. Yet the anger ebbed away inevitably into despair soon thereafter.

Her daughter was gone. Bail had had the Death Star plans transmitted to Leia's ship in the hopes that she would be able to transport them safely to the rebel base on Yavin 4. Padmé had warned him not to do this. It was too much of a risk! Nobody but Bail and herself understood the true extent of the risk.

But no. Bail had insisted and now Leia was in terrible danger. Nobody had been able to make contact with Leia's ship for days now, and Padmé was fearing the worst. She knew Vader had been after those plans. Had he gotten hold of her somehow? Was Leia now in her father's hands?

What would Vader do to her? Padmé shuddered considering this question. He didn't know that she was his daughter. Vader had thought that his child had died. After Padmé had left him nearly two decades ago he had fully transformed into a monster. He was a ruthless, killing machine, entirely subordinate to his despicable master. Would he even care if he found out Leia was his own? Would he kill her if he perceived her as a threat?

He wouldn't find out, though. Padmé was fairly confident of this. Leia didn't know who Vader was to her, so it wasn't as if she could reveal the truth. It had been difficult at first to hide this information from her, but over the years Padmé became more and more desensitized to lying about it. It had also helped that Leia had never been too interested in learning about her real father. She had always looked up to Bail as a sort of surrogate father. She had been adopted into the Organa name as well, although this had pained Padmé tremendously. The Galaxy knew her daughter as Princess Leia Organa, the daughter of Bail and Breha of Alderaan. It was simply too dangerous for her true parentage to be known.

Padmé had always been incredibly protective of her daughter. Leia was the last person in the Galaxy whom she was close to. Her family was still alive, but she didn't dare make contact with them, even after all these years, for she feared that Vader would be monitoring the Naberries in order to find information about Padmé's whereabouts. Leia was Padmé's pride and joy, the only reason she continued functioning, if she was honest with herself.

She saw so much of herself in her daughter. From a young age, Padmé had realized that Leia had inherited her proclivity to politics. While Padmé had resisted for a long time, she had finally allowed Leia to go off into the political world with Bail as her mentor. It had been one of the most difficult decisions of Padmé's life to allow Leia to go off to Coruscant and to train to become a Senator. She knew she didn't have the right to dictate her daughter's life, but she also knew that it was an unnecessary risk. On Coruscant, she would be close to Vader. Would Vader be able to sense her?

Evidently he had not been able to. Leia had been on Coruscant on and off for nearly two years now and Vader hadn't detected anything. But if Leia had indeed been taken prisoner by Vader, would he stay ignorant for much longer? Even if he was unable to detect anything through the Force, surely he would be able to see how similar Leia looked to her mother. Would he not be curious about why that was?

But that implied that Vader cared about his past self. Padmé had long since convinced herself that Anakin was gone forever, consumed by Vader. If that was the case, Vader wouldn't care if Leia was his daughter or if she looked like Padmé. She wasn't sure that this was the case, however. Bail had told her that the Rebellion had intel that Vader was obsessed with finding her. Why would that be the case? Did he want to kill her? Did he want to apologize? Padmé couldn't know for sure, and she could only hope that she would never have to know his reasons.

* * *

Leia was sitting in the austere Imperial cell with her hands clasped on her lap. She had refused to speak to anyone during the duration of her internment aboard the dreaded Death Star. She knew it was only a matter of time before they resorted to torture. She would not tell them, Leia told herself. She would never reveal the location of the Rebel Base.

The door to her cell opened suddenly to reveal the imposing form of Darth Vader. The second in command in the Empire was an intense looking man. Unlike the rest of the Imperial officers, Vader wore a dark black uniform with a black cape billowing behind him. He was tall with broad shoulders. He sported a trim beard which, along with his shortly cut hair, was beginning to grey ever so slightly. Leia had to admit that he was ruggedly handsome, a jagged scar along his left eye being the sole mar on his countenance. Nonetheless, there was something jarring about the man's general demeanor. It was if he had never smiled before.

"Princess Leia," Vader said in a voice she considered to be insufficiently imposing given his position and reputation. Leia didn't reply, deciding that she wouldn't talk to Vader either for as long as she was able. Despite her facade of confidence, Leia was trembling with fear internally. Vader was known across the galaxy for his ruthlessness. She knew he had a way of getting information out of people and that he didn't care if the person died at the end of the interrogation.

Entering the room, Vader shut the door behind him with a press of a button. Leia shrank away from him instinctively, pressing her back up against the wall of her cell. Vader gave her a perceptive look, his eyes narrowed as he investigated her. "So," he said slowly. "We need to talk." Still, Leia remained silent.

Stepping forward, Vader pulled over a stool from the corner of the cell and set it in front of Leia's bench. Vader sat down, his eyes never leaving Leia as he did so. "I'm only going to ask this once," Vader said in a low voice. "So I hope you'll be cooperative." Leia did everything in her power to keep her mind blank, fearing irrationally that Vader could somehow read her mind. He must not know where the Rebel Base is!

"Tell me," Vader said, leaning forward on his stool. "Where is Padmé Amidala?"

Shocked, Leia's concentration was broken. Why was he asking about her mother? Did he not want to know about the Rebel Base?

Vader's eyes widened as he stared back at Leia intently. "You know her, don't you," he said excitedly. "You know where she is!" Leia shook her head vigorously, terrified by Vader's euphoria. "Tell me!" he said loudly, his eyes shining. "Tell me where she is! Is she with the Rebels? Have they been hiding her all these years?"

Pulling her knees into her chest, Leia retreated as far as she could from Vader's manic eyes. Why did he care so much about this? What was happening? Suddenly, she felt as if something was probing into her mind, forcing its way into her thoughts. Terrified, Leia pushed it away, not knowing how she was doing it.

Vader stood up abruptly, a frustrated expression on his face. "You are strong-willed, Princess," Vader said. "But you will tell me what I need to know in time." With that, Vader spun around and marched out of the room, leaving a bewildered and petrified Leia in his wake.

What did Vader want with her mother? Did they know each other somehow? Did Vader want revenge of some sort? The only time her mother had ever mentioned Vader was when Leia had first gone off to Coruscant to become a politician. She had taken her aside and forced her to promise not to interact with Vader at all costs. She had figured that her mom had merely been afraid of Vader's notorious reputation and hadn't thought much of it then. But perhaps there had been something else?

Leia came up with no explanations, however, as she waited in her cell hour after hour. Finally, her cell door opened once again and two imperial soldiers in black helmets entered, blasters at hand. Standing her up roughly and cuffing her hands, the soldiers escorted Leia out of her cell. Waiting in the hallway was Vader. Upon seeing Leia, he approached swiftly until he was barely a foot away from her.

"This is your last chance," he said in a whisper. "Tell me where she is and I can help you." Leia was utterly perplexed by this comment. Vader was offering to help her? What was going on! Leia remained silent, however. She was never going to reveal her mother's whereabouts to Vader. Besides, she knew that if she revealed where her mother was she would reveal where the Rebel Base was as well.

"So be it," Vader said angrily, stepping away from Leia when it was clear that she wasn't going to tell him anything. "Perhaps you will be more cooperative after the… demonstration."

Leia gave Vader a sneer in an attempt to convey how she felt without words. Vader's face twitched angrily, evidently irritated that he was unable to break Leia. Snapping his fingers, Vader ordered the soldiers to take Leia away, himself following not far behind. After a brief walk, Leia arrived in a large, open room. A massive window dominated the west side of the room, a blue undeterminable planet twinkling in the distance amongst the stars.

Returning her attention to her immediate surroundings, Leia noticed the decrepit form of one of the most detestable men in the galaxy: Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin. Much to Leia's dismay, she saw Tarkin turn when she entered the room, a sickly grin etched on his face. Stopping a meter away from Tarkin, her escorts stepped aside, allowing Vader to approach as well, who standed uncomfortably close behind Leia.

"Governor Tarkin, I should have expected to find you holding Vader's leash," she said provocatively. Behind her, she felt Vader stiffen in indignation. "I recognized your foul stench when I was brought on board."

"Charming, to the last," Tarkin said with a smile. "You don't know how hard I found it signing the order to terminate your life," he added, grabbing Leia's cheek with his wrinkled hand.

"I'm surprised you had the courage to take the responsibility yourself," Leia fired back, recoiling from Tarkin's hand.

"Princess Leia, before your execution I would like you to be my guest at a ceremony that will make this battle station operational." Tarkin spun around to face Leia, having walked away during this small speech. "No star system will dare oppose the Emperor now."

"The more you tighten your grip, Tarkin, the more star systems will slip through your fingers."

"Not after we demonstrate the power of this station. In a way, you have determined the choice for the planet which will be destroyed first," he said, raising his finger as he approached. "Since you are reluctant to provide us with the location of the rebel base, I have decided to test this station's destructive power on your home planet of Alderaan."

"No!" Leia exclaimed. "Alderaan is peaceful, we have no weapons, you can't possibly –"

"Do you have another target, a military target? Then name the system!" Tarkin interrupted, his face tight with fury. Leia said nothing, utterly terrified at the decision in front of her. "I grow tired of asking this, so it will be the last time," Tarkin said, taking a step towards Leia suddenly. Intimidated, Leia backed away from him instinctively and bumped into Vader who was still standing silently behind her. "Where is the Rebel Base?"

Leia stared beyond Tarkin out the window at Alderaan, the planet where she had been raised. She couldn't let it be destroyed…

"Dantooine," she lied, looking at Tarkin before bowing her head again for fear that he would sense that she wasn't telling the truth. "They're on Dantooine."

"There," Tarkin said, oblivious to the fact that he had just been lied to. "You see Lord Vader? She can be reasonable." Turning away, Tarkin spoke to his subordinate. "Continue with the operation, you may fire when ready" he said.

"What!" Leia cried.

"You're far too trusting," Tarkin said, a gleeful expression on his face. "Dantooine is too remote to make an effective demonstration, but don't worry. We will deal with your Rebel friends soon enough."

"No!" Leia said, but was restrained by Vader's vice-like grip on her shoulder. This had been what Vader had been talking about, Leia realized. Looking up at Vader, Leia attempted to convey that she was willing to cooperate with him, to do anything to save Alderaan, but Vader shook his head subtly and focused his gaze on the horizon.

For a few brief moments, nothing seemed to happen. Leia held out hope that perhaps something had gone wrong. But then she saw it. A bright green flash illuminated the window in front of her. A laser bolt kilometers-long barreled through space towards Alderaan and collided with it, causing a horrific explosion. After the debris radiated outwards in all directions, Leia saw that Alderaan was gone. Her home had just been eradicated.

After just a few seconds, Leia felt herself get pulled backwards away from the window. Vader was taking her back to her cell, she realized. Her immediate surroundings seemed distant and fuzzy to her, the magnitude of what had just happened cascading down on her in waves. Vaguely, she heard Tarkin issue an objection.

"Lord Vader, where are you –"

"I am returning Princess Leia to her cell," Vader responded curtly. "Surely, you have no need for her any longer?" Receiving no further objection from Tarkin, Vader pushed Leia forward and guided her out of the room. In a daze, Leia looked up at Vader.

"Are you going to kill me?" she asked, strangely apathetic to the answer.

Vader shook his head but said nothing and continued to half drag her back to her cell. Reaching the prisoners ward, Vader entered a code on her cell and dumped Leia unceremoniously in the small room. Regaining her footing, Leia looked back at the doorway to see Vader standing there with his hands on his hips. "I warned you," he said stiffly, before turning to leave.

"Wait!" Leia cried, boldly reaching out to grab Vader's arm. She felt oddly dissociated from herself, as if she no longer feared retribution for her actions. "Why do you want to know about my… about Amidala."

Vader narrowed his eyes and turned towards Leia. "That is of no importance to you," he said ominously. Vader paused and glanced around behind him to see if anyone was watching him from the hallway. Seeing nobody, Vader closed the door with the press of a button. "I know you lied to Tarkin," he said. "Dantooine has been abandoned for some time."

Leia's eyes widened in fear. "No, I didn't –"

"Spare me," Vader said, holding up his hand.

"Why didn't you tell him?" Leia asked, increasingly bewildered by this turn of events. Wasn't Vader supposed to be the man in charge of destroying the Rebels? Why didn't he seem interested in knowing where they were operating from?

"Tarkin is a brute," Vader said simply, crossing his arms in front of him.

"But –"

"Where is she?" Vader interrupted, his eyes narrowed so much that she could barely see his eyes. "Is she with the Rebellion?" Unsure of what to do, Leia remained silent. "She must be," Vader said, seemingly speaking to himself. "That must be how you know about her. That's how she has hidden from me all these years."

"Lord Vader, why –"

"If you will not tell me where she is then we have nothing to discuss," Vader said tersely. "That's what I thought," Vader said when Leia said nothing. Turning around, Vader opened the door and left, his cape billowing behind him. When the cell door closed behind him, Leia collapsed onto the bench behind her.

Alderaan was gone. Her home planet had been obliterated with the press of a button. Leia didn't know what to do with herself. Should she cry? She wanted to, but she found that she was unable to. She couldn't stop thinking about Vader's strange behavior. What was he after? Why did he seem so obsessed with her mother? Why didn't he care about the Rebel Base?

Exhausted, Leia lay down on the bench and closed her eyes. She kept seeing Alderaan explode before her eyes, imploding into dust and then reemerging again in a grotesque loop. Nothing made sense to her anymore. Her home was gone, Vader didn't care about the Rebels, and she was scheduled to be executed.

Despite the whirlwind of emotions, Leia must have fallen asleep after a while because she found herself rudely awakened when the door to her cell opened once more. In walked a singular Stormtrooper, his head cocked slightly as he looked at her.

"Aren't you a little short for a Stormtrooper?" she asked, propping herself up with her elbow.

"Huh? Oh, the uniform." The Stormtrooper took off his helmet to reveal a youthful, blonde-haired young man. "I'm Luke Lars, I'm here to rescue you!" he said earnestly.

"You're who?" Leia said as she sat up from the bench.

"I'm here to rescue you! I've got your R2 unit, I'm here with Ben Kenobi!"

"Ben Kenobi? Where is he?" Leia asked, standing up quickly.

"Come on!" the mysterious man said, but Leia was already ahead of him, bolting through the open cell door and out into the hallway.

* * *

Vader was trembling with an odd mixture of excitement and rage. Obi-Wan was here! He could feel it as clear as day: his old Master had come to rescue the Princess. But why? Did he fear that Princess Leia would reveal Padmé's whereabouts? Had Obi-Wan been protecting Padmé for all these years, hiding her from him?

Obi-Wan would pay if that were the case! Vader would make sure of that. But why would Obi-Wan pull such a bold stunt after all this time? What made the Princess so important? Why was it that she knew about Padmé when no one he had interrogated before had ever had an inkling of her whereabouts?

Vader froze abruptly. There at the end of the hall was his old Master. Obi-Wan had his hood up, but Vader could tell that he had aged considerably in the past two decades. His beard, once a vibrant ginger, was now fully grey. Adrenaline coursing through him, Vader ignited his red lightsaber and approached. Obi-Wan in turn lighted his blue one as well.

"I've been waiting for you Obi-Wan. We meet again at last," Vader said. "The circle is now complete. When I left you, I was but the learner. Now I am the master."

"Only a master of evil, Darth," Obi-Wan said, his face grim. Obi-Wan lifted his lightsaber to strike, but Vader made no move to defend himself.

"Tell me," he said, his lightsaber humming innocently at his side. "Where is she?"

Obi-Wan hesitated, the lightsaber still held above his shoulder ready to strike. "What?" Obi-Wan asked, his eyebrow raised in obvious confusion. "Who are you talking about?"

Vader's face twitched in irritation. With lightning quickness, Vader swung his lightsaber towards Obi-Wan who only barely managed to deflect the strike. "Don't lie to me, Obi-Wan!" Vader bellowed, resuming his assault with a series of deafening blows. "I know you know where she is." Vader leaned into his lightsaber, pushing Obi-Wan back with ease.

"Are you talking about the Princess?" Obi-Wan asked, doing an excellent job of feigning ignorance. Roaring in rage, Vader thrust forward, flinging Obi-Wan to the ground. His old Master's lightsaber fell out of his hand and skidded across the floor. Casually, Vader called the lightsaber to his hand and held it along with his red one crossed in front of Obi-Wan's neck.

"Stop playing games with me, Obi-Wan," Vader said ominously, the lightsabers crackling intensely in front of him. "Tell me where Padmé is and perhaps I will spare you."

Obi-Wan's forehead creased in confusion as he considered what Vader had said. Eventually his face smoothed out into a sad expression. "She's dead, Anakin," he said softly, barely audible above the sound of the lightsabers. "She died ages ago."

"Liar!" Vader bellowed, desperately wanting to swing downwards at his old master. "Don't make me kill you, Obi-Wan!"

Obi-Wan held his hands up over his face and scooted back away from the lightsabers. "I'm not lying!" he said, his eyes fixated on the blades which were just inches from his throat. "Bail Organa told me she died nineteen years ago!"

Vader paused. Bail Organa? Nineteen years ago? What was Obi-Wan talking about?

"Ben!"

A voice to Vader's left distracted Vader from his thoughts. Swiveling his head to see its source, Vader saw a young, fair-haired man standing a few dozen meters away in the hangar. The Princess was not far behind him, standing next to the freighter with another man.

A group of Stormtroopers who had congregated to watch the fight turned around and opened fire at the young man. Surprised by the turn of events, Vader was caught off guard when Obi-Wan kicked him in the shin and jumped to his feet with surprising grace for a man his age. As Vader stumbled backwards, Obi-Wan pushed him back with the Force and turned to run.

Outraged, Vader threw Obi-Wan's lightsaber at his retreating form. Deflecting it with the Force, the still ignited blade flew through the air and collided with a crash into the control panel, causing the door to seal itself abruptly. Surprised by this development, Obi-Wan didn't have time to stop himself so he ran head first into the now closed blast door. If Vader hadn't been so angry, he would have found the scene amusing to say the least.

The sounds of blaster fire were now gone, the door serving as a soundproof barrier. Getting to his feet, Vader stormed over to Obi-Wan who was lying on the ground holding his forehead. Using the Force to grab Obi-Wan's lightsaber, Vader kicked Obi-Wan fiercely in the chest. Winded, Obi-Wan tried to back away from Vader, but was impeded by the door behind him. With a snarl, Vader put his boot on Obi-Wan's chest, pinning him against the door.

"Who was the boy?" he asked.

"Nobody," Obi-Wan wheezed, his eyes panicky. "He's a farm boy."

Vader was unconvinced by this answer, but he wasn't particularly interested in the boy anyway. He needed to know why Obi-Wan thought Padmé was dead. "What did Organa tell you?" Vader asked, pushing his boot harder into Obi-Wan's heaving chest.

"He told me she died…" Obi-Wan said, struggling to speak. "He… he said she died in childbirth. And… and that the child died with her. I swear… I swear I'm telling the truth."

So Organa had lied to Obi-Wan. Why would he have done that? Did Organa's daughter know the secret? Was that how she knew about Padmé? "Organa lied," Vader said aloud, speaking more to himself than to Obi-Wan. "She didn't die in childbirth. No thanks to the Jedi," he added.

"But… but where is she?" Obi-Wan asked. Vader didn't answer at first. Organa must had been protecting Padmé all along, not Kenobi. He must have lied to Obi-Wan in case Vader got to him and got the truth out of him. It was ingenious, really. Vader stiffened abruptly and took his boot off of Obi-Wan's chest. Had Padmé been on Alderaan with Organa? Had Tarkin just killed her? No, that couldn't be possible! He would have felt it! He… he couldn't possibly have…

"Anakin?" Obi-Wan said.

"Don't call me that!" Vader said quickly.

"Erm… Darth?"

Anakin rolled his eyes in spite of himself. "It's Lord Vader to you," he said.

"Whatever," Obi-Wan said. "Are you going to kill me or not?"

Vader looked at him quickly, his eyes narrowed at the pathetic form of his former master. Should he kill Obi-Wan? It was clear Obi-Wan didn't know where Padmé was. There was no reason for him to keep him alive…

But Vader found that he didn't want to kill Obi-Wan. He didn't hate him after all. Obi-Wan had tried to manipulate him like all of the other Jedi, but he didn't feel vengeful towards the Jedi anymore. He honestly didn't care about any of it. All he wanted was to find Padmé. Perhaps Obi-Wan could be helpful to him in this regard.

"No," Vader said, extinguishing both lightsabers. "You will help me find Padmé. Help me find my wife, Obi-Wan, and I will spare your life."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Padmé had been crying on and off for days, certain that Leia had been taken from her forever. At the moment, she was sitting cross-legged on her bed in the Rebel Base on Yavin 4, sightlessly staring at the wall when a there was a knock at her door. Sighing, Padmé dragged herself off the bed and went to go open the door.

Standing in the doorway was Mon Mothma, dressed in her typical white robes. "What do you want, Mon?" Padmé asked her old friend wearily.

"Princess Leia has made contact," Mothma said. "She escaped the Death Star."

Padmé's exhaled loudly and placed a hand over her heart in relief. "Oh, thank goodness," she said. "Thank you, Mon. Thank you."

Mothma gave Padmé a smile. "She said she would be here in about an hour."

Overwhelmed with relief, Padmé gave Mothma a hug. Mothma, who hadn't expected this, didn't know what to do with her arms. Padmé released her quickly however, and spun around to get dressed.

An hour later Padmé was waiting in the hangar, looking at the skyline anxiously as she waited for Leia to arrive. Finally, a ship emerged in the sky and descended down towards the hangar. Descending carefully, the ship landed smoothly on the landing pad. Impatiently, Padmé waited for the landing crew to give the OK for the passengers of the crew to disembark.

A few minutes later, the bridge unfurled. First off the ship was Leia, who descended down the stairs regally, her hands held in front of her. Rushing forward, Padmé surprised her daughter by enveloping her in a crushing hug. "Oh, Leia!" Padmé said, closing her eyes tight as she hugged Leia tightly. "I was so worried!"

"I'm okay, Mom," Leia said in a muffled voice. Realizing that she must be embarrassing her, Padmé let go but continued to hold onto her at arm's length. Mother and daughter looked at each other silently for a few moments before Leia spoke.

"Erm, Mom, this is Luke and Han. They rescued me."

Looking up, Padmé saw two strapping young men standing awkwardly behind Leia. "Thank you so much," Padmé said, extending her hand to each and shaking them vigorously. "I am forever indebted to you."

"About that –" the older looking man on the right began to say before he was rudely elbowed in the shoulder by his companion.

"It was nothing, ma'am," he said, ignoring the incredulous look that Han was giving him. "You don't owe us anything."

Returning her attention to her daughter, Padmé could tell that Leia wasn't being fully truthful with her. "Leia, what's wrong?" she asked softly.

Leia's lower lip trembled ever so slightly. "Alderaan," she said in a whisper. "They destroyed it."

Padmé's eyes widened in horror. Bail and Breha had been on Alderaan, Padmé realized. Her protectors and closest companions were gone. "I'm so sorry, Leia," Padmé said, her own eyes tearing up as she remembered her angry parting words with Bail. She had accused Bail of not caring enough about Leia, for putting her in unnecessary danger. That would be the last time they would ever have talked to each other…

"Come on," Padmé said, willing herself to be strong for Leia. "Let's go inside."

After having given R2 over to the Generals, Leia spent the remainder of the afternoon showing Luke around the premises. She had extended the invitation to both Luke and Han, but the latter had refused, evidently annoyed that he wasn't receiving any form of compensation. Padmé had watched from afar, not wanting to intrude on Leia's personal life. She noticed that Leia, who was normally dignified and aloof with people her own age, was remarkably comfortable and giggly in Luke's presence.

Padmé watched Luke suspiciously. She had always been extremely protective of her daughter for understandable reasons. But Luke seemed to be totally genuine in his intentions. Nonetheless, Padmé watched the two closely.

Padmé was in command room listening to the General Dodonna and Mon Mothma discuss the plan to take out the Death Star ad nauseum when Leia arrived. Relieved to get away from the command room, Padmé took Leia aside out into the hallway. Finding an empty room, Padmé pulled Leia in and closed the door behind her.

"So," Padmé said once they had both said down. "Tell me about Luke."

Leia rolled her eyes and sighed. "I just met him, Mom," Leia said. "I wanted to thank him for rescuing me, that's all."

"Okay, okay," Padmé said, holding up her hands in mock surrender. "I just think you're moving a bit too fast with him."

"He's just a friend!" Padmé gave Leia a skeptical look but didn't pursue any further. "He's volunteered to pilot an X-Wing, by the way. He says he's a good pilot."

_That's what they all say_ Padmé thought to herself. "Well, he's clearly a very brave young man." Leia nodded, clearly wanting this particular conversation to come to an end.

"Tell me what happened, Leia," Padmé said. "I've been completely in the dark since we lost contact with your ship,"

And so Leia began her story. Padmé inhaled sharply when she learned it had indeed been Vader who had boarded here ship and taken Leia prisoner. "Did he hurt you?" Padmé asked, fearing the worst.

"No, not at all," Leia said. "But it was weird. When he took me to the Death Star, he didn't ask me about the Rebel Base."

"What did he ask about?" Padmé asked, knowing the answer before Leia said it.

"He asked about you," she said. Leia paused, expecting a certain reaction from her mother but not receiving it. "He wanted to know where you were. I didn't understand why. Did you know each other in the past?"

Padmé looked away, considering her options. There was little point in lying about this. After all, it was obvious from Leia's point of view that Vader at least knew her. "Yes," she answered cautiously. "A long time ago."

"But why does he want to find you?" Leia asked.

"I… I can't tell you," Padmé said, avoiding Leia's incredulous eyes.

"What do you mean you can't tell me?" she asked indignantly. "What are you hiding?"

Padmé shook her head and closed her eyes. "I'm sorry, Leia," Padmé said. "It's for your own good that you don't know."

"He wants to kill you, doesn't he?" Leia said, her eyes alight with passion.

"Perhaps," Padmé responded honestly. "I can't know for sure what he wants with me."

Leia gave an exasperated sigh. "What can you tell me?" she asked irritably.

Padmé was silent for a few moments, considering what she could safely tell Leia. "Darth Vader is a very dangerous man," she said finally, knowing that this wasn't what Leia wanted to hear. "The less you know about him and what he's done the better off you'll be."

Leia narrowed her eyes as she scrutinized her mother's face intently. "Fine," she said bitterly. "Have it your way." Leia resumed her story, powering through the destruction of Alderaan without stopping. Padmé looked at Leia with a mixture of sadness and pride. She had been through so much over these past few days, and yet she was still strong, perhaps even stronger than she had been before.

When Leia reached the part of the story where Luke showed up in her cell, Padmé interrupted her. "What did you say?" she asked.

"I said he stormed into the cell and said 'I'm Luke Lars, I'm here to rescue you."

Luke Lars. She knew that name. That was the name of the Larses baby boy! She had held him in her arms nineteen years ago when she had gone to Tatooine looking for Obi-Wan.

"Then he said he had R2 and he was here with Ben Kenobi."

Padmé froze, her mouth slightly open as she stared back at Leia. "Kenobi?" she said slowly. "Obi-Wan Kenobi?"

"Yeah, Bail told me he was a Jedi who fought during the Clone Wars. He said I should try and make contact with him if anything went wrong on the trip. I guess he got the message."

Padmé was barely listening. So Obi-Wan was alive after all. She had never really thought he was dead, but after nineteen years she had figured that he had vanished from the Galaxy somehow. Yet suddenly he had appeared alongside Luke Lars, the boy whom she had met on Tatooine all those years ago. Obi-Wan must have been on Tatooine! She must have just narrowly missed him.

How come Bail knew how to find Obi-Wan? Surely he would have told her if he knew where to find the last remaining Jedi in the Galaxy. Or maybe Bail had only just discovered where Obi-Wan was and he hadn't had the time to relay the news to Padmé? Either way, something was awry with this.

"Did you know him too?" Leia asked.

"Oh yes," Padmé said, not hesitating this time. "He is a very old friend of mine."

"Oh," Leia said, suddenly looking sullen. "Luke thinks he died on the Death Star."

"What!" Padmé exclaimed. "How?"

"He was fighting with Vader," Leia said, her eyes out of focus as she pictured the event in her mind. "Vader was holding two… I don't really know what they were. They were like laser swords, I guess. One was blue and the other was red."

"Lightsabers," Padmé said, closing her eyes as she realized what must have happened. "The weapon of the Jedi."

"Yeah, so it looked like Vader was about to kill him when Luke called out and distracted Vader. Obi-Wan kicked Vader away and tried to run away but the door closed and we didn't see what happened afterward. We had to escape while we could because we were under heavy fire from the Stormtroopers."

So Vader had killed Obi-Wan. That must mean that Anakin was truly gone. Obi-Wan had been his best friend, a simultaneous father and brother figure for the little boy who had never had a real family other than his mother Shmi. There was nothing left of Anakin in Vader if he had tried to kill Obi-Wan like that. She suspected that this was the case for a long time, but hearing the definitive proof was still deeply saddening to her. For the umpteenth time she wondered how this could have happened. How had Anakin become so lost?

"Mom? Are you okay?"

Padmé looked up to see Leia's concerned expression. "I'm sorry," Padmé said. "This is just a lot of information, that's all. I'm just happy that you're alright."

Leia pursed her lips, seemingly conflicted about whether or not to continue questioning her mother about Vader. She decided against it, however, and stood up from her seat. "Well, I'm going to go wish Luke luck," she said. "The pilots should be leaving soon." Ignoring Padmé's smirk, Leia pushed the door open and walked off down the hallway.

Padmé lagged behind for a while after Leia had left, considering everything she had learned. She knew that she wouldn't be able to keep the truth from Leia for much longer. She was a smart girl, surely she would begin to put the pieces together after a while. Or perhaps Vader would die today with the Death Star. She knew it was a long shot, but still the possibility existed. Would she be happy if that happened? She knew she ought to be, but she suspected that she wouldn't. Part of her knew that she could only ever be happy if she saved Anakin from himself. But there was nothing left to save, was there?

Leaving the room, Padmé walked back down the hallway towards the command room. Leia joined her a few minutes later, anxiously standing beside the hologram table which showed the location of their squadrons.

"Which one is Luke?" Padmé asked cautiously.

"Red 5," Leia replied, making a concerted effort to sound indifferent.

"I'm sure he'll be alright," Padmé said unconvincingly. Internally, Padmé knew that the Rebels didn't stand a chance. Attacking the Death Star was one thing, but Padmé knew that Vader was an even more formidable obstacle. The Rebel pilots were completely out of their league compared to Vader. He would make mincemeat of all the Rebels, including Leia's friend Luke Lars.

* * *

Vader was pacing back and forth in his private quarters while Obi-Wan awkwardly sat in a chair in the corner, not knowing what to do with himself. Vader had dragged Obi-Wan away quickly after he had decided not to kill him, fearing that Tarkin would notice that something was wrong. Vader was playing with fire, though. It was only a matter of time before Tarkin found out what had happened. Not killing Kenobi would be considered equivalent to treason in Tarkin's book.

But Vader had a more pressing issue now. The Death Star was on its way to the Yavin system to destroy the Rebel Base. Now that the Rebels had the plans to the Death Star, they would no doubt initiate an assault on the battle station. Their efforts would be futile, however. The Rebels had no chance of destroying the Death Star with nothing but X-Wing fighters.

Vader was now convinced that Padmé was on Yavin 4 with the Rebels. That meant he had to rescue her before the Death Star annihilated the planet. But how would he manage to get down to the planet without anyone noticing? It would be especially helpful to Vader if the Rebels actually did succeed in blowing up the Death Star. Nobody would be able to hold Vader accountable in that case. Could Vader somehow sabotage the station to make it blow up? He didn't have the faintest idea how to do this, however. He had to prioritize getting down to Yavin 4 and deal with the consequences after the fact. Padmé was more important than anything.

What would he do with Kenobi in the meantime? He had hoped to use him as a bait at some later date, drawing Padmé away from the Rebels so that he could intercept her. Now there was no time for this. He would have to take Obi-Wan with him, as he didn't trust his old Master enough to let him leave his sights.

"Put this on," Vader said stiffly, reaching into a closet and producing a black imperial uniform. "Hurry up, old man." If he was embarrassed to get changed in front of Vader, he didn't show it and instead quickly stripped out of his dusty Jedi robes and slipped into the tight Imperial uniform.

"It fits, but only barely," Obi-Wan said, with a hint of his old humor. Vader ignored this comment, looking at a holopad to see how much time he had.

"We have to move quickly," he said.

"We?" Obi-Wan said inquisitively. "Am I not your prisoner?"

"I have no time for semantics!" Vader bellowed, fed up with Obi-Wan's behavior. "The Death Star will be in range of the Rebel Base within the hour. We have to get down to the planet and rescue –"

"Abduct more like," Obi-Wan muttered under his breath.

" – Padmé before the Death Star blows up the base. If you make any move to escape or to impede my progress, I will kill you. Is that clear?"

Obi-Wan shrugged. "I am unarmed. There is little I can say."

Vader smirked. "There's little you could do even if you were armed, old man."

Obi-Wan looked up at Anakin quickly, an inquisitive expression on his face. Suddenly feeling uncomfortable by this casual banter, Vader turned to leave. "Come on," he ordered. "Follow me."

Vader marched with purpose down the long hallways of the Death Star, Obi-Wan trailing a step behind. Fortunately for Vader, nobody was brave enough to ask him where he was going. People had a tendency to shy away from him whenever he passed by. Entering the TIE hanger, Vader slipped into the crowd of Stormtroopers who were preparing their ships in haste to counter the rebel fleet which must have just arrived.

Reaching his custom TIE fighter, Vader suddenly realized a flaw in his plan. There was only room for one in his ship. Where would Obi-Wan sit? There was no chance in Hell that Obi-Wan was going to sit on his lap all the way to Yavin 4. Looking around, Vader formulated a plan quickly. "Come on," he murmured to Obi-Wan, keeping his head low. Obi-Wan followed Vader to the unmodified TIE fighter parked next to Vader's. "Get in this one," Vader said.

"You want me to fly it?" Obi-Wan asked, surprised.

"No, I want you to give it an oil change. Of course I want you to fly it!"

"Okay, okay." Obi-Wan said, scrambling to get into the ship.

"Follow my ship. Believe me, I will shoot you down if you make any wrong move." Satisfied that Obi-Wan was ready to take off, Vader rushed off to his own TIE fighter and clambered into it quickly. Entering Obi-Wan's TIE fighter's code into the radio, Vader gave Obi-Wan the order to take off. He remembered that Obi-Wan wasn't a natural born flier, but the TIE was so easy to fly anyone could pilot it, Vader reasoned.

Taking off into space, Vader saw that the battle over the Death Star had already begun. TIE fighters swarmed the outnumbered X-Wings. Vader momentarily considered joining the battle on the Rebels side in an effort to improve their odds of destroying the Death Star somehow. This would be too much of a risk, however. If his Master found out that he had turned on the Empire, he would be executed no doubt.

Instead, Vader flew off in the opposite direction towards Yavin 4. Confirming that Obi-Wan was still behind him, Vader continued flying away from the battle. The green orb of Yavin 4 grew larger and larger in Vader's window until it entirely surrounded his field of view. Checking the navigational computer he had had installed, Vader determined the most probable location of the Rebel Base based on the high concentration of life forms. Vader and Obi-Wan descended into the atmosphere and finally below the clouds. In spite of the terrible odds, Vader couldn't help but feel excited. This was the closest he had been to Padmé in nineteen years! Finally he was going to be able to see her!

"This is where the fun begins," Vader said aloud. He could almost hear Obi-Wan roll his eyes over the radio.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

"Anakin, I think you might want to see this."

Vader was about to tell Obi-Wan off again for calling him Anakin but he stopped abruptly when he looked up to where Obi-Wan was pointing. The Death Star, which had once been looming in the sky next to the giant red gas planet Yavin Prime, was gone. Debris radiated outwards from the spot where the Death Star had once been. Vader looked up at the sky with his mouth hanging open.

"How?" he said. "How did they do it?"

"Well this certainly improves our odds, doesn't it?" Obi-Wan said.

Vader looked at him sharply. "I thought you thought you were my prisoner."

"Oh, I am," Obi-Wan said merrily. "Although it is much more fun to pretend like we are equal partners. It's just like old times."

Vader gave an exasperated sigh. "Whatever makes you happy, old man," he said. "We need a new plan, though."

"Since when did we have a plan?" Obi-Wan asked.

"You know what I mean," Vader said irritably. "The Rebels are going to be on their way back now. We won't be able to get into the base undetected anymore."

"So what do you suggest we do?" Obi-Wan asked casually, leaning against the wing of his stolen TIE fighter.

Vader considered his options. He could of course simply rush into the Rebel Base with two lightsabers in hand. He was fairly sure he would be able to pull this off. But what would he do with Obi-Wan? Besides, how would Padmé feel about all the carnage which that would inevitably cause? And lastly, how would his Master react to hearing about what he had done?

No, he would need to exercise a greater degree of subtlety, something Vader was not proficient in by any means. Looking at Obi-Wan, Vader began to formulate a plan. Obi-Wan gave Vader a questioning look when a sly smile emerged on Vader's face.

"What does that look mean?" Obi-Wan asked concernedly.

"It means you're going to be very helpful to me. Very helpful, indeed."

* * *

The command room erupted in cheers when they received the news that the Death Star had been destroyed. Young Luke Lars had done it! The greatest menace in the Galaxy was destroyed! Padmé partook in the celebrations along with everyone else, immediately rushing to give Leia a hug. While she was undeniably elated to still be alive, she couldn't help but acknowledge a gnawing sense of sorrow. Her husband had been on that battle station. Darth Vader was dead, and with him Anakin Skywalker as well.

He had deserved to die. Padmé knew this better than anyone. Nevertheless, she couldn't deny that she wasn't terribly affected by the realization that he she would never see him again. It was strange; she had always thought that they would see each other again. She had never been optimistic enough to assume that she would ever see Anakin again, but she had always thought that she would encounter Vader at least once. But now that was impossible.

If Leia noticed her mother's odd melancholy, she didn't show it. She was far too busy celebrating with the rest of the Rebels, and Padmé was overjoyed to see her daughter so elated. Leia had always been a tight-lipped and dignified young woman. Perhaps having two near death experiences had caused her to loosen up and lower her defenses a bit. Padmé certainly understood if that was the case. After all, she herself had professed her love to Anakin only in the face of what she thought was imminent death on Geonosis.

Standing in the shadows, Padmé therefore watched with a faint smile as Leia rushed to Luke's X-Wing and was the first to give him a crushing hug when he jumped out of the cockpit. Padmé was infinitely grateful to that young man whom she had met on Tatooine nineteen years ago. He had saved Leia's life and destroyed the Death Star, saving the Galaxy from a horrific reign of terror and brutality. Yet at the same time, she couldn't help but consider him as her husband's murderer. Of course it wasn't fair, but Padmé couldn't help it.

The next day, Padmé was watching proudly in the front row as Leia rehearsed the medal-presentation ceremony. Mothma had decided that they could afford to stay behind on Yavin 4 for another day in order to honor Luke and Han's contributions. It was risky, of course, since the Empire knew where they were and were likely to send a conventional fleet soon, but nobody but C3P0 could bother to act too concerned in the wake of their greatest triumph.

Padmé looked away from the stage when she sensed someone approaching. To her left was Mon Mothma, a grim expression on her face. "What's wrong, Mon?" Padmé asked when Mothma sat down next to her.

Mothma didn't look at Padmé at first, electing to watch Leia and General Dodonna who were laughing about something on the stage. "We received a transmission last night," she said, turning slowly to look at Padmé. "The sender said it was intended for you and you alone."

"Me?" Padmé said. "But how many people even know that I'm here?"

"Nobody outside of this Base should know that information," Mothma said. "That's why I was so concerned. Forgive me, but I decided to listen to the transmission first before giving it to you."

"What! But Mon –"

"I'm sorry, Padmé. I know I shouldn't have, but we have bigger concerns at the moment."

"What do you mean?" Padmé asked.

"Follow me," Mothma said, rising up from her seat. Padmé followed her, having to speed walk in order to keep up with Mothma's long strides. Glancing around surreptitiously, Mothma slipped into her office in the center of the base. Gesturing for Padmé to sit down, Mothma entered a code into a safe and produced a holocom. Placing it down on the center of her desk, Mothma entered another code.

A familiar yet weathered face emerged from the holocom. "Obi-Wan!" Padmé exclaimed, putting her hands over her mouth in shock. "I thought he was dead!"

"_Hello, Padmé," _the recording said. _"I expect it might be a bit of a shock to see my face after all these years. I have been living on Tatooine for the past nineteen years, hiding from the Empire. Forgive me for not trying to make contact with you for all this time. I was told by Bail Organa that you had died in childbirth and I only recently discovered that you were still alive._

_It may also come as a surprise to you to learn that Anakin is still alive. I managed to escape the Death Star unharmed and I assumed he was killed when the station was destroyed. He survives, however; I can sense it. I am contacting you to tell you that I believe there is a chance to turn him. He didn't kill me on the Death Star and I suspect there is still good in him. I believe you are the only one who can save him from himself._

_I humbly ask that you meet me on Corsin in two days' time. I have attached some coordinates for the location. You are of course under no obligation to meet me. However, I must stress that this is the best opportunity we have to end this war peacefully. I look forward to seeing you again."_

The hologram flickered out. From across the desk, Mothma was staring at Padmé with a questioning look. "Explain this," she said simply.

Padmé took a deep breath, considering her options. Padmé had asked Bail never to reveal her secret to Mothma. It wasn't that she didn't trust her, it was just that she felt that the fewer people that knew of her connection to Vader, the better. But now she didn't have much of a choice.

"Anakin is Leia's father," she said finally. "We were married secretly during the Clone Wars."

If Mothma was surprised by this information, she didn't show it. "I see," she said. "And Kenobi thinks you can turn him?"

"I guess," Padmé said unconfidently.

"Are you going to do it?" Mothma asked.

"You mean you'd allow me to go?" Padmé asked, surprised.

"I trust your judgment, Padmé," Mothma said. "If you think there is a chance, I will respect your decision."

Padmé pursed her lips and looked away. Yesterday she had been certain that Anakin was gone forever, but that had only been because she thought he had killed Obi-Wan. But he hadn't killed Obi-Wan after all. Did that mean that Anakin was still alive? Was there a chance she could rescue him like Obi-Wan said? Didn't she have a responsibility to try even if the odds were slim?

"I think I will go," Padmé said. "But nobody can know about this. Especially Leia. She doesn't know who her father is."

Mothma frowned, but didn't object. "Fine," she said. "I'll give you a vessel to go to Corsin. We will be relocating to Hoth after the ceremony, so don't bother coming back here."

"Thank you, Mon," Padmé said, standing up. "I'm going to go say goodbye to my daughter before the ceremony starts,"

"Padmé," Mothma said before Padmé could leave. "May the Force be with you."

Padmé gave Mothma a solemn nod. She knew what Mothma was thinking: that this could very well be the last time they saw each other. "And may the Force be with you, Mon."

* * *

Leia was feeling incredibly confused. Her mother had come up to her right before the ceremony to tell her that she would be leaving in the morning. When Leia had asked where she was going, she had refused to answer. Leia had been frustrated. Why was it that her mom didn't trust her all of a sudden? Leia hated being in the dark like this. She hadn't got a chance to express her frustrations, however, because the ceremony began shortly thereafter.

Leia was therefore distracted for the entire ceremony, pondering where it could be that her mother was going and why she couldn't tell her. Did this have something to do with Vader? But hadn't he died on the Death Star? Leia had been so lost in her own thoughts that she had accidentally wacked Han on the bridge of his nose with his medallion when she was placing it over his head. Fortunately, nobody seemed to notice this except Luke, who had attempted to stifle his laugh in vain.

After the ceremony, Leia separated herself from the crowd trying to find her mother, but she couldn't find her anywhere. In a last-ditch effort, Leia decided to check the hanger. Instead of finding her mother, however, Leia encountered Luke who was sitting at the base of his X-Wing with R2, the gold medallion still wrapped around his neck. As she approached, she noticed with a start that the young man seemed to be crying.

"Luke?" she said tentatively. "Are you alright?"

Luke looked up quickly to see a concerned Leia looking at him. Embarrassed, Luke dried his eyes with his sleeve. "Yeah, I'm fine," he said unconvincingly. "I was just…erm..."

"What's wrong?" Leia asked, sitting down next to Luke on the ground. "You can be honest with me."

Luke sighed and looked straight ahead. R2 beeped something and rolled away, giving the two some privacy. "My whole life has turned upside down over the past few days," he said. "I never told you this, but my parents were killed a few days ago by Stormtroopers."

Leia gasped. "Oh, I'm so sorry, Luke," she said. "I didn't know."

Luke shrugged. "You lost your whole planet, though. You shouldn't be comforting me."

"It's not a competition, Luke," she said gently, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You have every right to be devastated."

Luke nodded and looked away, his eyes watering up again. "And… and now Ben's gone too," he said in a wavering voice. "I could have been the one to kill him." Suddenly, Luke broke down in tears much to Leia's surprise. For a moment, Leia didn't know what to do.

"I've lost everyone. Mom, Dad, Ben, even Biggs," Luke blubbered through tears. "I'm completely alone."

"Don't say that," Leia said, absentmindedly rubbing a circular pattern on Luke's back. "You have me."

"You barely even kn-know me," Luke said in a muffled voice, his head held in his hands.

"I know but…" Leia hesitated, not knowing what she was saying. "It feels like I've known you all my life. Does that make any sense?"

"No, not really," Luke said honestly. Leia wasn't paying attention, however. Someone had just entered the hanger. Putting a finger to her lips to shush Luke, Leia stood up stealthily to investigate. Hiding behind an X-Wing, Leia saw her mother walking quickly with a suitcase in hand. Leia watched in awe as her mother expertly climbed up a ladder into the cockpit of an X-Wing. Since when could she fly?

"Is that your mom?" Luke asked, startling Leia who hadn't heard him follow her.

"Yeah, it is," Leia whispered, glancing at him briefly before returning her gaze to her mother's suspicious actions.

"Where is she going?" Luke asked.

"No idea," Leia responded. "But I know how to find out."

"What do you mean?" Luke asked.

"Look away, please," Leia said.

Confused, Luke obliged anyway. Reaching down the front of her dress, Leia produced a small homing beacon from her bra.

"What? Why did you –" Luke began to ask.

"Women's clothing never has any pockets," Leia said bitterly. "It's the only place I could put it."

"But why –"

"I figured she might try to leave tonight. I picked this up right after the ceremony just in case."

Slipping away from the X-Wing she was hiding behind, Leia ran across the hanger, doing her best to remain as quiet as possible. Stopping behind the X-Wing directly adjacent to the one her mother had gotten into, Leia gave the homing beacon a quick kiss before throwing it. The beacon sailed true and attached itself silently to the hull of the ship. A few moments later, the X-Wing roared to life and took off out into the night.

After the ship was gone, Luke stepped out from his X-Wing and approached Leia. "Why did you do that?" he asked.

"I'm done being lied to," Leia said firmly, her eyes still pointed towards the horizon where her mother had gone. "I want to know the truth." Luke didn't say anything to this, not knowing what Leia was talking about. "Will you come with me?" Leia asked. "I need a pilot."

"I would, but we can't take an X-Wing," Luke said. "We need space for two. Why don't we ask Han?"

Leia wrinkled her nose at this suggestion.

"What?" Luke asked. "What's wrong with Han?"

Leia shrugged. "It's nothing, he just rubs me the wrong way."

"He helped rescue you. Plus, he helped blow up the Death Star," Luke said, defending his friend.

"I know, I know," Leia said, raising her hands in surrender. "We'll ask Han. But we need to hurry. I don't know how much time we have."

* * *

Having slipped away from the Rebel Base without being detected, Padmé made quick time flying to Corsin. She had to admit it felt great to be in the cockpit again, all by herself in the expanse of space. The past nineteen years with Leia had been wonderful of course, but Padmé had lost the ability to act spontaneously due to her responsibilities as a mother and for fear that Vader would find her.

Corsin was a pretty little planet, covered mostly in oceans with a spattering of green land masses here and there. Entering the specific coordinates Obi-Wan provided, Padmé approached one of the larger green blobs as she descended into the atmosphere. Closing in on the location, Padmé realized that she was approaching a secluded temple. With no landing pad, Padmé did her best to land the X-Wing carefully in the grass.

Kicking the cockpit door open, Padmé looked up to get a better view at the temple. The place was clearly very old. The stone steps were crumbling somewhat and moss clinged to the surfaces. Yet the place emanated something strong yet indescribable. What was this place?

The entrance of the temple was a short archway. There was no door, having long since rotted away. Straining her eyes, Padmé could see a hooded figure waiting for her in the doorway. With a sudden jolt, Padmé realized that this was the first time she had met the Jedi Master in nineteen years, ever since that fateful day when she had lied on Anakin's behalf.

Padmé threw off her helmet and brushed her hair out of her face. Taking two stairs at a time, Padmé rushed up the temple steps to greet Obi-Wan. "Obi-Wan, I'm so glad to –"

The figure threw off its cloak, and Padmé stopped with a start, staring into the face of the man she had hidden from for two decades. "Hello, my love," Darth Vader said. "It's been far too long."


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

"Where's Obi-Wan?" Padmé asked, trying to keep her shock and terror at bay.

"Oh, he's inside," Vader said. "I thought it would be more appropriate if I greeted you, though. You are my wife, after all."

"What do you want?" Padmé asked, taking a step backwards so that she now had to crane her neck to look into Vader's glowing eyes. She noticed with a hint of optimism that they were still blue.

"You," Vader said without hesitation. "That's all I've ever wanted."

"That's a lie," Padmé said shaking her head and continuing to back down slowly. "You had nineteen years to make things right."

Vader took a step down just as Padmé took another step back. "How could I have?" he asked. "You hid from me! I couldn't find you no matter how hard I tried!"

"That's not what I mean, Anakin," Padmé said.

Growling, Vader bent his knees slightly and propelled himself into the air towards her. Shrieking, Padmé attempted to dive aside, but Anakin sailed over her, flipping in midair and landing behind her. "Enough of this!" he bellowed. "Come inside with me, Padmé. We can discuss all this and more in the temple."

Padmé had no choice but to do so. Taking her arm before she could stop him, Vader half dragged her up the steps towards the entrance of the temple. Once inside, it took Padmé a few moments to adjust to the darkness, as the only light came from a circular hole at the top of the domed ceiling.

Releasing her, Vader walked ahead of Padmé into the semidarkness. Suddenly, he ignited his lightsaber. The vibrant red light of the weapon revealed a curled-up figure lying on the ground. "Obi-Wan?" Padmé asked. She received no response from the figure. Vader slashed down abruptly, causing Padmé to cry out in shock. Vader's saber didn't seem to harm Obi-Wan, however.

"Ah, thank you," Obi-Wan said, flexing his hands as he stood up. "Although I must say, I'd have preferred you to merely untie me. Lightsabers are hardly precise instruments."

"Shut up," Vader muttered. "Don't make me gag you."

"Padmé, how are you?" Obi-Wan asked cordially.

Bewildered, Padmé didn't reciprocate Obi-Wan's pleasantries. "What is going on?" she asked instead. "Why is _he _here?" she asked Obi-Wan, gesturing rudely to Vader.

"Well you see, I was perhaps not entirely truthful in my message. Anakin here took me prisoner on the Death Star and used me to lure you away from the Rebels," Obi-Wan said with remarkable calm.

"What about the… other part of the message?" Padmé asked, realizing that Vader must not have known what Obi-Wan included in the transmission.

"Oh, that was entirely genuine," Obi-Wan said, his eyes sparkling.

"You can't be serious!" Padmé exclaimed. "He's holding you prisoner, Obi-Wan!"

Now it was Vader's turn to be confused. "What are you two talking about?" he asked, looking back and forth between his wife and his former Master.

"Anakin, you have been misinformed about the nature of this meeting," Obi-Wan said, turning to Vader boldly.

In response, Vader held up his still active lightsaber to Obi-Wan's chest. "Have you lost your mind?" he asked. "I hold all the cards here!"

"Perhaps I have," Obi-Wan said sagely. "I am an old man after all, as you so kindly remind me every fifteen minutes."

"Obi-Wan, shut up!" Padmé said urgently, concerned that Vader was going to give in to his frustration and kill Obi-Wan on the spot.

"Anakin, I brought Padmé here because it is time to mend old wounds," Obi-Wan said, seemingly oblivious to the glowing red lightsaber inches from his heart. "It is time that you both learned the truth. The full truth."

Padmé's heart skipped a beat. Did Obi-Wan somehow know about Leia? Was he about to reveal her existence to Vader?

"Anakin, please put your weapon down," Obi-Wan said. Vader hesitated for a moment, staring back at Obi-Wan suspiciously.

"Fine," he said, lowering the lightsaber and extinguishing it. "Explain yourself."

Padmé was beginning to panic. "Obi-Wan, you can't –"

"Padmé, you don't know the full story either. Believe me, I know what I am doing."

Not comforted by this comment, Padmé glanced at Vader nervously. How would he react to learning the truth? He would hate her for hiding his daughter from her, she was sure of it…

"I have been living on Tatooine for the past nineteen years," Obi-Wan began. "In that time, I have conversed extensively with Masters Qui-Gon and Yoda."

"What!" Vader exclaimed. "Yoda and Qui-Gon are dead!"

"Indeed, they are," Obi-Wan said. "But they have learned how to preserve their consciousness through the Force." Obi-Wan paused to allow Vader to issue an objection. Receiving nothing however, Obi-Wan continued. "As I was saying, I have been living on Tatooine ever since the fall of the Republic. In that time, I have gained a fairly clear picture of what happened nineteen years ago on Polis Massa. You see, Master Yoda spun a web of lies in that medical center. A web so intricate that it is only being unraveled now two decades later. The only living man who knew what really happened there was Bail Organa, who has since unfortunately perished."

"Organa?" Vader said. "How does he fit in to this?"

"Bail Organa was on Polis Massa on that fateful day. Yoda told Organa that Padmé had died in childbirth. Bail later relayed that information on to me a few days later. Only recently did I discover that Bail had been lied to."

"Obi-Wan, please don't –" Padmé tried to say, but was cut off by Vader.

"Why would Yoda lie about that?" he asked, his facade of control melting away in the face of his burning curiosity. "What did that achieve?"

Obi-Wan gave Padmé a brief glance before looking back at Vader. "Because Yoda wanted to hide your children from you." There was a deafening silence as Obi-Wan's words echoed eerily about the ancient temple. Padmé thought Obi-Wan must have misspoke. She didn't have children plural, she only had Leia.

"I have no children," Vader said in a quiet voice.

"You are wrong, Anakin," Obi-Wan said in a sad tone. "Yoda lied to you and Padmé that day. He told you that your child had died. In reality, your children were healthy and well. You were carrying twins, Padmé," he added, turning to Padmé. "A boy and a girl."

Padmé's eyes widened in horror. She had delivered twins? She had a son? But where was he…?

"Yoda delivered your children to Bail Organa's ship and told him to run. He told him that the children had to be separated and hidden from their father. I suspect he didn't give much thought to how you would feel about this, I'm afraid, Padmé. Yoda thought that your children represented the last hope for the Galaxy and that in the future they would be trained to overthrow the Empire and kill their father.

Bail Organa decided to adopt the baby girl and brought her to Alderaan. He brought the boy to me on Tatooine and asked me to raise him. I was horrified by the prospect, so I passed the boy off to a lovely young couple who lived outside of Mos Eisley."

Padmé gasped and covered her mouth with her hands as a horrible realization hit her. "I held him," she said in a whisper. "I held my son, Obi-Wan."

Obi-Wan spun his head to look at Padmé. "What do you mean?" he asked, perplexed.

"I came to look for you after…" she gave a side glance to Vader. "After I ran away. I went to Tatooine to find you. I figured you would try to find Shmi, so I went to Mos Eisley. I went to the Larses home and asked if they had heard of you. I held him in my arms… my own son…" Padmé's face was wet with tears as she realized what had happened. She should have known! Luke was her own flesh and blood and she had let him slip away…

"I'm so sorry, Padmé," Obi-Wan said softly. "I asked the Larses to hide my identity. They must have thought you were an Imperial officer coming to arrest me."

Vader meanwhile was standing stiffly, his eyes wide as he grappled with this new information. "That was him, wasn't it?" he said in a hoarse voice. "On the Death Star."

"Yes, that was Luke," Obi-Wan said. "He's a wonderful boy, truly –"

"You hid him from me!" Vader bellowed abruptly. "You had no right to keep my son from me!"

"What was I supposed to do, Anakin? For all I knew, you would have trained him to become a Sith!"

"He's my son!"

"Anakin, please!" Padmé pleaded. "Let him finish." Vader clenched his jaw angrily, but stayed silent, allowing Obi-Wan to continue.

"You know the rest, don't you Padmé?" Obi-Wan said. "Why don't you tell him?"

Padmé swallowed hard, feeling Vader's eyes boring into her. There was little point in hiding the truth from him anymore.

"What is he talking about, Padmé?" Vader asked ominously. "What do you know?"

Padmé turned slowly to look Vader in the eyes. They were Luke's eyes, she realized. It was clear as day, now that she knew the truth. "After I left Tatooine, I went to Alderaan to find Bail. I needed his help to protect myself from you. It was there where I met our daughter."

Vader's eyes widened as he realized what she was saying. "You… you knew about our daughter?" he stammered. "You hid her from me too?"

"Don't give me that, Anakin!" Padmé said angrily. "You forfeited your right to have any part in her life long ago!"

"But I'm her father!"

"You're a monster!" Padmé retorted. "You slaughtered children, Anakin! You've killed countless people on the Emperor's behalf!"

"You had no right –"

"I had every right!"

Vader let out a horrible scream which ricocheted intensely off the walls which began to shake as if they weren't strong enough to contain the sound. Pressing her hands firmly to her ears, Padmé watched partially in awe and partially in terror as cracks began to radiate outward from the hole in the ceiling. Vader plunged his fist into the earth in rage. When he made contact with the ground, the entire structure around them exploded with a deafening crack. Shards of stone flew forcefully out into the sky.

Despite the awesome noise, Padmé was able to make out the distinct sound of a blaster being fired from somewhere behind her, accompanied by a grunt in pain. The blaster fired again just as Padmé opened her eyes. Directly in front of her kneeled Vader, his mechanical arm hanging loosely to his side. His left arm, however, was held up with his hand flexed. Inches in front of his outstretched hand was a blaster bolt, suspended in midair.

Padmé turned her head to see where the bolt had come from. Standing on the front steps of where the temple had once stood was Leia, holding her blaster with two hands. Behind her stood Luke, his own hand hovering over the blaster attached to his belt.

Vader struggled to his feet and considered the pair in front of him. Looking to Leia's left, he saw Luke whom he already knew to be his son. Padmé could see the realization dawn on his face as he put things together and realized who Leia was. Slowly, Vader turned to look over at Padmé, the bolt still suspended in midair inches away from his abdomen. "So," he said in a steely voice. "You raised her to hate me."

"No, I didn't –"

"Liar!" Vader shouted. "You turned her against me!"

"Anakin, no –"

But Vader wasn't listening. Stepping aside, Vader released the bolt which flew off harmlessly and hit a remnant of the wall. Pulling out his lightsaber to deflect another potential bolt, Vader approached Leia with terrifying speed.

"What did she tell you?" he asked ominously as Leia stumbled backwards away from Vader, her eyes shining with fear.

"Anakin, stop!" Padmé cried. "Please, please, listen to me!" Much to her surprise, Vader stopped, although he kept his eyes on Leia. Seizing the opportunity, Padmé leapt to her feet and ran over to put herself in between Vader and Leia, extending her arms wide to protect her children. Behind Vader, Padmé could see Obi-Wan groaning on the ground as he too struggled to his feet. "I didn't tell her anything, Anakin," Padmé said bravely. "Leia didn't know that you were her father."

Vader narrowed his eyes, looking away from Leia to meet Padmé's eyes. "She didn't?" he said. "You lied to her for all these years?"

Padmé didn't know what to say to that. Fortunately, Obi-Wan came to her rescue. "Anakin, why don't you put your lightsaber away. Leia why don't you lower your blaster as well. We ought to be able to talk civilly to one another." Father and daughter complied with Obi-Wan's request, eying each other suspiciously as they lowered their respective weapons.

Once Vader had clipped his lightsaber back to his belt, Padmé finally lowered her arms and turned to face Leia. "What are you doing here?" she asked sternly. "How did you even find me?"

"I put a homing beacon on your ship," Leia said, raising her chin defiantly. "I wanted to know the truth."

"How much did you hear?" Obi-Wan asked from behind her.

"Everything," Luke answered, glancing nervously at Vader. "Is it really true, Ben?" he asked.

Obi-Wan nodded somberly. "I'm sorry I never told you."

"Oh, Luke," Padmé said, rushing over to her son and enveloping him in a motherly hug. "My son," she said in a muffled voice. "I'm so sorry." Initially surprised, Luke received his mother's embrace with equal emotion. Tears slid down his cheeks as he nestled his head into Padmé's shoulder. After nineteen years, they were finally reunited. Oh, how horrible Padmé felt! She had missed her son's entire childhood. How had she not known the second she had laid her eyes on him? He was so clearly Anakin's son.

Padmé felt a gentle hand on her shoulder. Separating herself from Luke, Padmé looked around to see Vader standing over her. "Let him go, Padmé," he said awkwardly. "You're embarrassing him."

Sniffling, Padmé released Luke and stepped away. "I – I'm sorry," she said. "This is just so much."

Leia, however, seemed unswayed by her mother's emotional reaction. "Why didn't you tell me?" she asked Padmé, her hands held on her hips.

"Leia, I'm so sorry," Padmé said, turning to face her daughter. "It was just too dangerous for you to know."

"Too dangerous?" Leia repeated indignantly. "I'm a Rebel, Mom! Everything is dangerous!"

"Leia, I don't think you understand –" Obi-Wan tried to say, but was cut off.

"I understand perfectly well! This wasn't about protecting me. You were just too ashamed to admit that you married a monster!"

"Don't you dare talk to your mother that way!" Vader said, stepping forward in front of Padmé defensively.

Leia gave Vader an incredulous look. "Who are you to tell me what to do?" she said.

Vader had opened his mouth to offer a retort when Obi-Wan intervened. "Perhaps we should conduct this conversation sometime else," he said diplomatically. "I'm sure Padmé and Anakin could use some time alone right now." Padmé nodded her head, feeling overwhelmed by everything that was going on. Leia, however, snorted in indignation.

"I have a right to be here!" she said. "I have a right to know why I was lied to my entire life!"

"Leia, please –" Padmé pleaded, but Luke had stepped forward and placed a hand on Leia's shoulder, causing Padmé to falter.

"Give them some space," Luke told his newfound sister gently. "I'm sure they'll explain everything in time." Leia turned her fiery eyes to Luke, outraged by this betrayal.

"You too?" she said indignantly. "Fine, I'll go. But this isn't over!"

"Believe me, we know," Obi-Wan said under his breath. "If you would kindly follow me." Stepping aside, Leia and Luke allowed Obi-Wan to pass down the mossy steps. With one last withering glare towards Padmé, Leia spun around and marched after Obi-Wan.

Padmé and Vader watched them walk away towards the X-Wing which was parked about a hundred meters away. They were silent for a few awkward moments, unsure how to conduct themselves around each other. Padmé was undeniably still afraid of Vader. He seemed to be a loose cannon, and the destruction of the temple certainly hadn't done anything to attenuate that perception.

"She has quite the temper," Vader finally said, watching Leia's retreating form.

"She gets it from you," Padmé said matter-of-factly. Vader raised an eyebrow but didn't object to this comment. With a sigh, Vader tore his eyes away from Luke and Leia to look at Padmé. Looking up into his piercing blue eyes, Padmé could see at once the conflict brewing within Vader.

"Is it true, Padmé?" Vader said in a strangely strained voice. "What Leia said? Are you… ashamed of me?"

Padmé gave Vader a sad look. "Do you really want me to answer that, Anakin?" Vader swallowed hard and looked away. "I'm ashamed of what you became, Ani," Padmé said in a gentler tone. "By what you've done. I'm not ashamed to have married you, though. The man I married was a remarkable person. And I think that man still exists deep within you."

Vader looked back at Padmé quickly. "You do?" he said.

"I know it," she said, taking a step towards him. "You just need to discover him again."

Vader reached out and took Padmé's hand with both of his own. The metal of his artificial hand was still hot from where Leia's first blaster bolt had hit it. Vader looked down at Padmé's smaller hand with a forlorn expression. "You're wrong," he said, shaking his head. "Anakin Skywalker is dead. Darth Sidious killed him."

"How can you say that?" Padmé said passionately. "Look around you, Anakin! You're surrounded by your family. You're just going to give up on them after searching for them for nineteen years?"

Vader closed his eyes and released Padmé's hand. "I… I don't deserve them," he said. "And besides, they don't want anything to do with me," he added, gesturing towards where Luke and Leia had gone.

"Anakin, stop that!" Padmé pleaded with him. "You're their father, of course they want to know you." Padmé knew that this probably wasn't strictly true: Leia certainly didn't want anything to do with Vader, and while she didn't know Luke very well, she suspected that he too would be ambivalent about learning that his true father was the notorious Darth Vader.

"You have been blessed with an opportunity to make things right," Padmé said, changing her approach. "This is your one chance to regain the life you've always wanted."

"But I don't deserve that life anymore, Padmé," Vader said. "Why can't you understand that?"

"You're wrong, Anakin," Padmé said, placing a hand on his cheek tenderly. "You've done horrible things, but that doesn't mean you can't make things right."

Vader closed his eyes, relishing in Padmé's warm touch. "How can you bear to look at me?" he asked.

"Because I love you, Anakin," she said softly. "I've never stopped loving you."


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Leia didn't know how to feel about everything that had happened. After leaving Han behind with the Millennium Falcon which they parked about a kilometer away from the temple, Luke and Leia had gone off to find her (or their) mother. About ten minutes later they had been crouched in the hallway listening in on the intense conversation. She had found out that Vader was her father, Luke was her brother, and Obi-Wan was still alive. The amount of information was overwhelming.

Then Vader had lost his cool, outraged that he had been lied to for so long. She hadn't seen what had happened, but the entire temple exploded. Terrified that Vader was going to attack her mother, Leia had opened fire at the figure which had just appeared before her. Her bolt had hit him directly in his right hand, yet her second bolt was remarkably halted in midair before it could hit its target.

Leia's shock had transformed into anger. How could her mother have hidden this information from her? She had always sensed that the subject of her father was a sensitive subject, so Leia had never pushed her mother to reveal the truth. Never could she have suspected this, however. Darth Vader, the most notorious man in the Galaxy and the mortal enemy of the Rebellion, was her father!

Obi-Wan had stepped forward then, asking for the two intruders to kindly leave in order to give the couple some privacy. They had complied, following Obi-Wan down the steps towards the X-Wing which was parked in front of the now ruined temple.

"How did you survive, Ben?" Luke asked when they had stopped walking. "I thought you were on the Death Star?"

Obi-Wan gave Luke a little smile. "Your father saved my life, I suppose," he said. "Although I'm sure he wouldn't phrase it that way."

Luke glanced back up the steps where he could still make out the fuzzy forms of his biological parents. "I can't believe this," he said, shaking his head. "This is just insane."

"Your father is an exceptionally powerful man," Obi-Wan said, leaning against the side of the X-Wing wearily. "So much so that the Jedi determined that he must have been the Chosen One."

"The Chosen One? What does that mean?" Luke asked.

"There was a prophecy that foretold that one day the Chosen One would bring balance to the Force," Obi-Wan explained.

Leia rolled her eyes. "Sounds like a bunch of bogus to me," she said dismissively.

"Perhaps," Obi-Wan said pensively, stroking his bearded chin as he considered the forms at the top of the hill. Following Obi-Wan's gaze, Leia saw with a shock that they seemed to be embracing. How had her mother ever fallen in love with such a horrible man? "Nevertheless, Anakin is extremely powerful in the Force. No doubt, you have inherited his capabilities, or at least a fraction of them."

"I'm sorry, but what does that even mean?" Leia asked rudely. "What is the Force, anyway?"

"It's an energy field of sorts that surrounds and penetrates all living beings," Obi-Wan explained. "It is an omnipresent entity, yet few have the power to wield it. Those who do are known as Force sensitives."

Luke nodded, having heard this speech before. "I think I used the Force somehow," he said. "When I blew up the Death Star. I didn't even use the computer, I just kind of… willed the torpedoes to the target. Does that make sense?"

Obi-Wan smiled again, his eyes twinkling. "Very much so, Luke. I suspected that this might be the case."

"I heard a voice, too," Luke continued. "I didn't know who it was."

"What did it say?" Obi-Wan asked, looking intrigued.

"It told me to let go," Luke said, his brow furrowed as he tried to remember. "To use the Force to fire the torpedoes rather than relying on the computer."

"Wait, so you can use the Force to move objects with your mind?" Leia asked skeptically.

"Indeed," Obi-Wan said, turning back to Leia. "Or, apparently, stop them from moving as your father just demonstrated with that blaster bolt. That was truly remarkable, I've never seen anything like that."

"So that's how he did it!" Luke said excitedly. "It just stopped in midair!" Leia gave Luke a sour look, not sharing his enthusiasm for their father's prodigious powers.

"The Force is more than this, of course," Obi-Wan said. "A true Jedi Knight appreciates the Force in all its aspects, not just in the powers it bestows upon him or her."

"Is that where he went wrong?" Leia asked, gesturing her head towards Vader's figure in the distance. "He was consumed by lust for power."

Obi-Wan didn't respond right away as he considered the question. "I'm not sure anyone can answer that but Anakin himself," he said eventually. "I advise you not to pass judgment on him until you learn the full story," he added, giving Leia a pointed look.

Leia crossed her arms but didn't make any further comment, electing instead to watch her parents' distant forms. They had separated now, and seemed to be finished with their conversation. A few moments later, they turned and began walking down the steps towards them. Leia narrowed her eyes contemptuously when she saw that they were holding hands. They came to a stop a few feet away from them.

"Padmé and I have come to an agreement," Vader said, still holding her mother's hand. Vader glanced at Leia nervously before returning his gaze to Obi-Wan whom he seemed most comfortable talking to. "I will be accompanying Padmé to Naboo to see her family. We of course would hope that you two would join us, but we recognize that you may not want to," he said with awkward formality to Luke and herself.

Luke glanced at Leia to judge her reaction to this invitation. "I'd like to go, but only if Leia's okay with it of course," he said nervously.

Leia kept her arms crossed, maintaining the outward appearance of disapproval. Internally, however, Leia couldn't deny that she would love to go to Naboo and meet her extended family whom she had never been able to see for reasons that only now made sense to her. That being said, she certainly didn't want to be near Vader for any longer than she had to.

"Leia, please come with us," her mother pleaded with her. "Your grandparents will be so excited to meet you."

"I don't trust him," she said, not looking at Vader although it was obvious who she was talking about. "What if he takes us to the Emperor instead?"

Much to her surprise, Obi-Wan backed her up. "That is a good point," he said. "Do you intend to continue to recognize the Emperor as your Master, Anakin?"

Vader grimaced and looked away, clearly uncomfortable with the question. "I…I don't know," he mumbled.

Padmé dropped Vader's hand in disgust. "You can't be serious!" she said. "You belong with your family, Anakin! Not with that monster!"

Vader looked lost for words and turned to Obi-Wan for help. "She is right, Anakin," Obi-Wan told him. "You can only choose one. Will it be your family or power?"

Vader didn't respond, his face tight as he kept his eyes on the ground. "Anakin, please!" her mother said, placing a hand on his chin and forcing him to look at her. "Be selfish for once! You don't have to punish yourself for the past, let it go! Everything will be forgiven if you turn against that menace."

"Nothing can absolve what I did," Vader said in a low voice, leaning into Padmé's hand on his chin. "You of all people should know that."

Leia began to suspect that she was missing some crucial information. She knew that Vader had done terrible things, but was that what he was talking about? There must be more to this story, she figured. Perhaps sensing Luke and Leia's confusion, Obi-Wan spoke up. "Perhaps we should have this conversation sometime else," he said. "I suspect your children would like to learn more about you, after all."

Her mother frowned, evidently displeased by Obi-Wan's decision to shift the conversation. Vader, on the other hand, was clearly relieved.

"Wait just a minute!" Leia said, holding up a finger. "I'm not going anywhere with this man until I get an explanation."

Vader's relief seemed to fade as quickly as it had arrived, his face slackening in despair. "If you don't tell them what happened, then I will," Padmé said, crossing her arms disapprovingly at Vader's attitude.

Vader opened his mouth to offer a retort but closed it again. Taking a deep breath, he turned to face Luke, Obi-Wan, and Leia. "Fine," he said reluctantly. "But when I tell them they will never want to look at me as their father."

"It's not like we're thrilled at the prospect right now, anyway," Leia said bitterly. "Get talking."

Vader frowned at her, evidently offended by her rudeness. Leia, however, didn't really care what he thought of her. She just wanted to know the truth. Why had she been lied to about her father for her entire life? Why had her mother been forced to live in hiding for nineteen years?

"Your mother and I were married twenty-three years ago in secrecy on Naboo," Vader began, bowing his head so he didn't have to meet Leia's intense eyes. "I was a Jedi at the time and was therefore forbidden from having attachments. I didn't care about the consequences, however. Padmé was the more logical one. She knew that any relationship between us would end in disaster. Nevertheless, she couldn't resist me for long." Vader looked over at Padmé and gave her a wink. Padmé rolled her eyes and shook her head, although Leia could see the hint of a smile on the edge of her mouth.

"Three years after we were married, Padmé became pregnant. We were terrified and exhilarated at the same time. We knew that we wouldn't be able to hide our marriage for much longer. Soon after I learned the news, I began to have dreams of her dying in childbirth. They were just like the dreams I had had about my mother before she died, so I knew that I was foreseeing the future. I resolved to do anything in my power to prevent this from becoming true.

The Jedi were useless to me. I couldn't tell Obi-Wan because I knew he would reveal my secret to the Jedi Council if I did so. Instead I went to Master Yoda, although I of course couldn't tell him the full truth. He told me to let go of my attachments and to accept death as a necessary part of life. This was unacceptable for me. I sought to save Padmé at all costs, and so when Chancellor Palpatine revealed himself to be a Sith Lord, I was initially hesitant to destroy him. Darth Sidious offered to save my wife from imminent death. I did what anyone would have done in that situation."

"You could have confided in me, Anakin," Obi-Wan said. "I would have helped you."

"You may say that now, but I don't think you would have. I trusted you implicitly, Obi-Wan, but I also knew that you were a dogmatic fool. I couldn't risk it."

"I don't understand, what's so bad about that?" Luke asked innocently.

Vader turned to his son, his eyes full of pain and remorse. "It's what I did next which was so horrible. And when I tell you what I did you will never look at me in the way you are looking at me now." Vader paused, staring intently into the face of the boy whom he had thought died nineteen years ago. "Darth Sidious convinced me that the Jedi had been plotting to overthrow him and that they hadn't trusted me enough to include me in their plans. It was a lie, of course, but in my foolishness I believed him. He told me to go to the Jedi temple to kill the Jedi and eliminate the threat they posed to the Galaxy. He said that only then would I have the strength to save Padmé's life.

And so I did it. I killed everyone in my path. Masters, Knights, Padawans, and even Younglings all felt my blade. I was a thoughtless machine, fulfilling my new Master's will blindly because I thought it would save my wife. I was an absolute and utter fool, but the Jedi were no better. Their antiquated rules forced me to the Dark Side. Had I been allowed to marry Padmé openly this all could have been avoided…

But don't think that I am trying to justify myself to you. I recognize that what I did was barbaric. Yet at the time I thought I had succeeded. Padmé survived childbirth, although it was Master Yoda who had been at her side and not Sidious. I considered this detail irrelevant at the time. All I cared about was that Sidious had fulfilled his promise to me and saved Padmé's life. We thought that we had lost the child, but I told myself not to worry about this too much. After all, Padmé and I could now live freely together! We could always have more children in the future.

I didn't consider how she would feel about me, however. Everything had happened so fast. I had figured that she would understand why I had done what I did, that she would appreciate that I was doing everything for her. I was sorely mistaken. Padmé didn't recognize me after she learned what had happened. After we lost the child, she cut herself off from me completely. A few days later she ran away from me and disappeared from my life for nineteen years."

Everyone was silent for a long while after Vader had finished talking, nobody knowing what to say. Leia glanced at Luke, expecting him to be horrified but instead he was looking back at Vader with a sympathetic expression. Obi-Wan meanwhile was stroking his chin once again, his brow furrowed as he considered Vader's story.

"So now they understand why I don't deserve them," Vader said, speaking to Padmé.

"What was the alternative, Anakin?" Padmé asked exasperatedly. "Hide the truth from them forever? Pretend that you aren't who you are?"

"I'm not ashamed of you, Father."

Leia spun her head to look at Luke in shock. "Luke, you can't be serious!" she exclaimed. "He's a mass murderer!"

"Your sister is right," Vader said. "I don't deserve your affection."

"Anakin, please stop saying that!" her mother said, grabbing Vader's arm. "You're still a good person. You still have time to make things right!"

"Make things right?" Leia said, bewildered by this perspective. "How can you possibly forgive him for what he did, Mom?"

Padmé turned and gave Leia a withering look. Leia stood her ground, however, matching her mother's angry gaze with determined defiance. Suddenly, Padmé detached herself from Vader's arm and approached Leia with intimidating speed. Grabbing her daughter by the arm, Padmé dragged her away from the rest of the group without a word.

"Ow! Mom, what are you doing? Let me go!"

Padmé didn't release her until they were out of earshot, however. Turning a corner behind a large piece of debris from the temple, Padmé shoved Leia unceremoniously behind the shard of stone and out of view from the rest of the group. Outraged by being treated this way, Leia opened her mouth to complain but was cut off when Padmé put a finger up to her face.

"Listen to me, alright?" she said quietly. "I don't care what you think about your father. I don't care what you think about me. But _please _stop being so belligerent!"

"Mom, have you lost your mind?" Leia asked incredulously. "He's a monster!"

"I know!" Padmé said in a hushed voice. "He's done terrible, terrible things. But I came here to turn him back to the good side. Don't you see that, Leia? He's the key to ending this war! We need him to believe that he has something worth fighting for."

"So you want me to pretend to love him?" Leia asked. "Because there's no way I'm doing that."

"Of course not, but you can't keep on calling him a monster either!"

"But he is a monster!"

"That doesn't matter! All that matters is getting him to turn on the Emperor and ending this war. That is what you want, isn't it?"

"Of course, but –"

"Then give him a chance! Because right now you're playing directly into Sidious' hand."

"I am not!"

"Yes you are! If you keep telling your father that he is worthless, he's going to believe that!" Leia said nothing in response, knowing that her mother had a valid point but unwilling to admit so. "At the very least, come with us to Naboo. If you can't stand to be around him after that, you can leave and never see him again if you don't want to."

"But what about you, Mom? He's not going to let you get away again. He's obsessed with you!" Leia pointed out. Her mother didn't reply and instead pursed her lips and looked away. "You don't still love him, do you?" Leia asked incredulously.

"I'm going to do what I have to, okay?" Padmé said, avoiding the question. "I'd appreciate it if you would support me."

Leia frowned, suddenly convinced that her mother did indeed still love Vader. How was it that everyone but her had suddenly gone completely insane? "Fine, I'll go with you," Leia said eventually. "But promise me you'll try and get away from him when he doesn't turn."

Padmé sighed and looked down. "I'll do what I can," she said vaguely. "Come on, let's go back." Avoiding her mother's grapple hook of an arm, Leia stepped out from behind the rock and walked back to the group on her own volition this time. She wasn't satisfied by her mother's answers in the least, but she realized she had little choice but to go to Naboo with Vader. He wasn't going to allow her to escape this.

Returning to the X-Wing, Leia stood next to Luke, the only person she could fully trust right now. Her mother parked herself back at Vader's side. "Leia has agreed to come with us," she said, looking up at Vader.

"She has?" Vader said, clearly surprised. "That's… wonderful." Leia bit her tongue to prevent herself from saying something nasty to Vader. She knew that her mother was probably right; if there was any chance at ending the war peacefully, it would be through turning Vader. That didn't mean she had to like it, though.

"What ship did you come in, Anakin?" her mother asked conversationally. "Because we all can't fit in my ship."

"Oh… well Obi-Wan and I each came on TIE fighters, so…"

"We have a ship!" Luke said eagerly, pointing off to the horizon where the Millennium Falcon was parked. "There's plenty of room for us."

"Did you fly it here?" Vader asked curiously.

"No, but I could have," he boasted, puffing out his chest slightly. "I'm a pretty good pilot." Leia elbowed Luke in the ribs to get him to stop talking, causing him to yelp in pain.

"Is that so?" Vader said, ignoring Leia's rude intrusion. "What have you flown before?"

Rolling her eyes, Padmé stepped away from Vader towards Leia. "Come on," she said with a faint grin. "Why don't you take Obi-Wan and myself to the ship. They might be talking about this for hours."

Smiling in spite of her foul mood, Leia nodded and began leading her mother and Obi-Wan towards the Millennium Falcon. Han was in for a big surprise when they got back, she thought to herself. Once they were far enough away from Vader and Luke (who seemed to be talking about engines or something of that sort), Padmé turned to Obi-Wan. "He let you fly here on your own?" she asked in a hushed voice.

"Well, sort of," Obi-Wan explained. "It wasn't because he trusted me, it was because there is only room for one in a TIE fighter."

"But still! He must have trusted you somewhat," Padmé said earnestly. "Maybe he is really still in there."

"Perhaps," Obi-Wan said. "Although he did tell me he would shoot me out of the sky if I made any wrong step, so I wouldn't get my hopes up too much."

Padmé frowned and looked away, clearly disheartened by Obi-Wan's interpretation. "But he agreed to go to Naboo without hardly any convincing," she said, regaining her optimism.

"That's only because he wants to make you happy," Leia told her mother dismissively.

"And that's a bad thing?" Padmé retorted.

Leia shrugged, and looked back towards the horizon where she could now see the distinctive form of the Millennium Falcon. "I don't think it means he's a good person. It just means he's obsessed with you."

"I think Leia's partially correct," Obi-Wan said before Padmé could respond. "But I do think we can use his… romantic inclinations to our benefit."

"Absolutely," Padmé said, glad that someone was on her side. "We first fell in love on Naboo, after all. If there was a place where he could redeem himself it would be Naboo."

"I certainly hope you're right," Obi-Wan said.

* * *

**_Author's Note: _**Thank you all for reading and reviewing, I really appreciate it! I just want to let you all know that I finished writing this story yesterday and it will be 30 chapters long (a little over 100k words). I will be working on a new story now and will continue uploading every other day.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

"What happened? Where's Luke?" Padmé heard Han ask Leia who had just stepped on board the Millennium Falcon. Padmé and Obi-Wan were right behind and they too entered. "Obi-Wan?" Han said incredulously when he saw the old Jedi Master board his ship. "You're alive?"

"It seems I am," Obi-Wan said with a wry smile.

Han looked between Leia, Obi-Wan, and Padmé with his mouth agape, visibly perplexed by what was happening. "Anyone care to clue me in?" he asked finally.

From behind her, Padmé heard two new sets of footsteps climbing the loading ramp to the Falcon. Turning around, Padmé saw Vader and Luke approaching, still deep in conversation.

"I played an instrumental role in the development of the TIE fighter, you know," she heard Vader say, his voice echoing in the hallway.

"Really?" Luke said in wonderment. "How so?"

"Well maybe instrumental is too strong of a word, but I certainly made a number of very valuable suggestions which the developers…" Vader stopped talking abruptly when he entered the Falcon and encountered a very rattled Han Solo pointing a blaster at his chest.

"What the Hell is Darth Vader doing on my ship?" Han asked in an uncharacteristically high voice.

Seemingly exasperated by having a weapon pointed at him for the second time that day, Vader flicked his hand and sent Han's blaster flying across the room where it collided into the wall with a clang. Padmé noticed that Luke's eyes were wide with awe at the demonstration.

"I assume you are the pilot," Vader said conversationally. "Luke told me about you."

"Why don't we go to the main hold," Leia suggested, taking a step in between Vader and Han. "We'll explain everything there."

Keeping his eyes on Vader, Han nodded. "Uh… yeah. It's just that way on the left," he said, pointing down the hall. As the procession moved past Han towards the main hold, Padmé noticed Han press himself tightly against the wall to get as far away from Vader as possible. Vader, for his part, didn't seem to give Han any mind, and resumed his conversation with Luke about TIE fighters.

Once in the main hold, Padmé followed Leia's example and sat down on a bench by a hologram table. Han entered last, his gaze still fixated on the back of Vader's head. "Nice ship," Vader said as he perused the main hold casually.

"Are you being sarcastic?" Han asked, crossing his arms in front of him.

"No, I mean it," Vader said. "It could be cleaned up a bit, to be sure, but it's a nice-looking freighter. How did you get it?"

Han hesitated, looking uncomfortable with the question. Luckily for him, however, Leia intervened on his behalf. "I don't think Han wants to make small talk with you," Leia said coolly. "He just wants to know what you're doing on his ship."

"Very well," Vader said, raising his hands in surrender. "Would you like to tell him?"

"Me?" Leia said, momentarily surprised. "Why me?"

"I'm very curious to hear your take," Vader said innocently.

Scowling at Vader, Leia turned to Han. "Well it turns out Darth Vader is my father," she explained, cringing slightly as she said it. "Also, Luke is my brother."

Han blinked a few times as he stared back at Leia, his mouth hanging open once again. "He's your father?"

"Unfortunately, yes," Leia said, earning herself an angry expression from Padmé.

"And Luke is your –"

"Brother, yes," Leia said. "I must say, your listening comprehension skills are quite attuned, Han."

"Leia!" Padmé exclaimed, alarmed by her daughter's rudeness.

"What?" Leia asked, turning to Padmé.

"How about I fill Han in on the rest of the details in the cockpit?" Obi-Wan suggested, eager to get away from the feuding family. "I'm sure you all would like to have some time alone, anyway." Before Padmé could object, Obi-Wan rushed out of the main hold, practically dragging Han along with him who was still too bewildered to do much of anything on his own volition.

There was a long, tenuous silence after Obi-Wan and Han had left. Padmé looked nervously between Leia and Vader, hoping desperately to avoid a conflagration from ensuing. Padmé was immensely relieved, therefore, to hear Luke break the silence.

"So Leia told me that you were a Queen," he said earnestly. "Is that why she gets to be a Princess?"

Padmé felt her heart ache as she realized how little her son knew about her. They were complete strangers to one another. "Yes, I was Queen of Naboo," she said, turning towards Luke. "But I was elected, so technically Leia wouldn't be a Princess because of that. Leia had to hide her connection to me, so when she entered politics she pretended to be Bail and Breha Organa's daughter. Since Breha was Queen of Alderaan, Leia assumed the title of Princess."

"Oh," Luke said dejectedly. "So I guess that means I don't get to be a Prince."

Padmé laughed, charmed by her son's humor. "You can be a Prince in my eyes, Luke."

Luke blushed and looked away and Padmé feared she had gone too far. But Luke recovered quickly and smiled back at her, easing her anxiety. "Thanks… Mom," he said, frowning slightly.

"What's wrong?" Padmé asked, concerned by his expression.

"I – I'm sorry," he said, his voice suddenly wavering. "It's just… I thought my Mom died last week and now it turns out she wasn't really my mother at all."

"Beru is dead?" Padmé exclaimed in horror. "What happened?"

"He killed her," Leia said brusquely, pointing towards Vader.

"What?" Vader said, more confused than indignant. "I did no such thing!"

"Not directly, but Luke's parents died on your orders!" Leia said, rising off the bench. "Your Stormtroopers killed them searching for the droids on Tatooine!"

"I am not responsible for –"

"They were operating on your orders!"

"That doesn't mean that –"

"Stop! Please, stop!" Luke's plea caused Vader and Leia to cease bickering abruptly and turn to look at him. "Will you please stop fighting?"

Leia gave him an incredulous look. "He killed your parents, Luke!"

"I don't blame him for that," Luke said, stunning Leia speechless. "I just want us to get along. Is that so hard?"

"Luke is right," Padmé said, giving Leia a pointed look. "It's a blessing that we have been united here. We should cherish this opportunity rather than squander it fighting over the past."

Neither Vader nor Leia said anything, although Padmé could see that they were still both fuming. Deciding that a momentary détente was the best she could hope for, Padmé turned back to Luke as if nothing had happened.

"I'm so sorry, Luke," she said. "I met Beru and Owen twice before. They were wonderful people." Luke nodded his head and looked away, his lower lip trembling slightly. For a long while nobody said anything, as they all stared at the floor awkwardly, unsure of what to say. The silence was broken when they felt the ship lurch from underneath them and take off. Evidently Obi-Wan had told Han where they were going.

"Where shall I go?" Vader asked suddenly. Padmé looked up at his questioningly. "When you go to your parents' house, I mean. Surely I won't be welcome there after… after everything."

Padmé hesitated, having not considered this question. "I want you to come," she said resolutely, although internally she knew that this was probably a terrible decision. Nevertheless, she wanted Vader to feel as if he was her husband again. That way she would be able to turn him, she determined.

"Padmé, I don't think that's a good –"

"I insist," she interrupted firmly. "I am your wife and you will do as I say."

Vader's eyes widened as he stared back at Padmé, aghast. She figured that Vader wasn't used to being ordered around like this. Slowly, his stunned expression transformed into a grin. "Very well, my lady," he said saucily, his eyes glinting with humor.

Flushing slightly at the look Vader was giving her, Padmé turned quickly to Leia, who was seated once more. "Mom and Dad are going to be so excited to meet both of you," she said, glancing at Luke as well. "They don't know about either of you, of course. It will be a huge surprise."

"They don't even know about Leia?" Vader asked.

"No," Padmé said. "I haven't communicated with them in nineteen years, Anakin. When I left them, I didn't know that the children had survived."

"Oh," Vader said, suddenly looking extremely guilty.

Realizing that she couldn't spin this in any way that would make Vader feel better about himself, Padmé turned back to Leia. "I'm not going to tell them that we're coming," she said mischievously. "So it will be a total surprise." Leia didn't return her enthusiasm, however, and Padmé could tell she was struggling not to criticize Vader for being the reason why she had never been able to meet her grandparents.

"What about your family, Father?" Luke asked. Vader startled visibly at being referred to as this, and was momentarily caught off guard.

"Anakin's mother passed away a long time ago," Padmé said, speaking on Vader's behalf. "And as far as we know, he doesn't have a father."

"What do you mean he doesn't have a father?" Leia asked skeptically. "Everyone has to have a father, no matter how much we –" Leia stopped talking abruptly when Padmé shot her a warning look. "I mean, that's biologically impossible," she finished lamely, staring down at her lap to avoid Padmé's livid expression.

"The Jedi told me that they believed I was spawned by the Force," Vader said, regaining his voice. Leia couldn't help but snort in derision. "I understand your skepticism," Vader said. "I too was unsatisfied with this explanation for a long time."

"But not anymore?" Luke asked.

Vader shrugged. "Over time, the subject lost its importance to me. I suppose I have come to terms with not knowing."

"Don't you think it's most likely that your mom just lied to you?" Leia said.

Vader crossed his arms and scowled at Leia. "My mother was not a liar," he said with ominous calm. "And I would appreciate it if you didn't denigrate your grandmother like that."

Surprised by the firmness of Vader's response, Leia fell quiet and drooped he head to avoid eye contact with anyone. Leia was certainly having a very rough afternoon, Padmé thought to herself.

Over the course of the next few hours after they had entered hyperspace, Padmé filled Luke in on everything he needed to know about her family and about Naboo. Luke seemed visibly elated to learn that he had an entire extended family as well. Leia meanwhile crossed her arms and didn't participate in the conversation, electing to sit in a moody silence. She had thought she was an only child her whole life, Padmé realized. Perhaps she was feeling jealous about how much attention Luke was getting from her? But wasn't she too old for that sort of thing?

Yet Padmé couldn't help but engage with Luke at Leia's expense. Having finished telling him about herself, Padmé asked question after question about his own life on Tatooine, desperate to learn more about her son. Padmé listened intently as Luke told her about life as a moisture farmer, cringing slightly as she discovered how hard his life had been on Tatooine.

"Oh, it wasn't that bad," Luke reassured her when she voiced her concerns. "I had it way better than most."

Yet Padmé couldn't help but feel horrible. Luke should have lived with her on Alderaan for the past nineteen years. It was terrible that she hardly knew anything about her own son. She should have known! She had held him in her arms and then walked away…

"Padmé? Are you all right?" Padmé looked up at Vader, remembering the last time he had asked her that. At the time, she had thought Luke was dead.

"I'm okay," she said, rubbing her eyes. "It's just been such a long day. I think I'm going to go lie down."

Vader opened his mouth to say something but then closed it again. Padmé could see that he was struggling with something, but Leia intervened before he could say anything. "I'll show you where the guest room is," she said, rising to her feet. Padmé could tell that she was delighted to have an excuse to do something helpful.

Glancing at Vader, Padmé hesitated briefly. Deciding that now wasn't the best time to deal with him, she stood up as well and followed Leia out of the main hold.

* * *

Turning off the lights as she closed the door to the guest room, Leia turned reluctantly to return to the main hold. She had contemplated asking her mother if she could stay with her instead and curl up beside her as she used to do when she was a small child, yet she was far too prideful to make such a request.

Instead she made her way back to the main hold, dragging her feet in the hallway to prolong the very brief journey. There she found Obi-Wan had reemerged from the cockpit and was seated where she had previously been by the hologram table. He was deep in conversation with Vader about something.

"Do you intend to train them yourself?" he asked Vader, a concerned expression on his face.

Vader looked up to see that Leia had returned. Not able to meet his gaze, Leia turned away quickly to sit beside Luke who was now standing by the technical station.

"I um… I haven't thought about it," Vader said, tearing his eyes away from Leia to look back at Obi-Wan's questioning face.

"Well you're going to have to," Obi-Wan said. "You can't hide them from him forever."

"When he finds out the Death Star was destroyed he's going to think that I'm dead," Vader replied.

"You know as well as I do that that is not going to fool him for long," Obi-Wan countered. "He'll be able to sense that you're still alive and then he will be furious at you for not going to him immediately after."

"I'll just tell him I got stranded in my TIE fighter, it's not a big deal."

"Not a big deal? Anakin, you can't be serious!" Obi-Wan exclaimed, his hands gesticulating wildly. "The moment he finds out that you found Padmé and your children he is going to go ballistic!"

"Not necessarily," Vader said lamely.

"Of course he will! He wants to control you, Anakin! Surely you must know that by now? He's been able to keep you at his side for nineteen years because he kept you entirely isolated from anyone else. Now that your family is back in the picture he will do anything to alienate you from them, including killing your children if he thinks he has to!"

"Woah, wait a minute," Luke said, suddenly much more invested in this conversation. "Why would the Emperor care about us?"

"I mean, you did blow up his Death Star, Luke," Leia said, looking up at him. "Plus, I'm a leading member of the Rebellion."

"This is true," Obi-Wan said. "But remember what I told you on Corsin. You are the offspring of the Chosen One! You are perhaps the most powerful Force sensitives in the history of the Galaxy apart from your father. The Emperor will want to control you like he controls Vader, but when he finds that he will be unable to he will attempt to eliminate the threat you pose to him."

"But Leia and I don't even know how to use our powers!" Luke argued, looking extremely nervous.

"That won't matter to the Emperor, Luke," Obi-Wan said, shaking his head. "That is why you must be trained now. You and Leia both need to be better prepared to face the Emperor."

"I will not allow you to train my children as Jedi, Obi-Wan," Vader said, holding up a finger at him.

"Would you rather they be trained as Sith?" Obi-Wan asked bitterly.

"No, but –"

"Let the past go, Anakin!" Obi-Wan interrupted angrily. "The old Jedi are extinct! This is your chance to reform the Jedi Order to how it ought to be! You can throw away all the dogma which you despised if you want."

"I am not a Jedi anymore, Obi-Wan," Vader said firmly.

"Are you a Sith?"

Vader paused, clearly thrown off by the question. "I… I don't know what I am," he said eventually. "I don't want to be either."

"Then train your children how they ought to be trained!" Obi-Wan said fervently as he banged his fist on the table in front of him. "Neither as Jedi nor Sith! Amend the mistakes of the past and make things the way they ought to be!"

Vader glanced over to look at Luke and Leia, a conflicted expression on his face. Leia looked back at him curiously, unsure of what exactly was happening but utterly fascinated nonetheless.

"I'll have to think about this," he said finally, turning back to Obi-Wan.

"Of course," Obi-Wan said, bowing his head slightly. "But remember that you are running out of time to make a choice."

"I won't make any commitments without consulting Padmé," he said in a stronger voice. "They are her children, as well."

Obi-Wan's eyes widened in what Leia interpreted as pleasant surprise. "That is very wise of you, Anakin," he said with a faint smile. "Very wise."


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Standing in front of her parents' house, Padmé was beginning to reconsider the wisdom of her decisions leading her to this point. So many questions presented themselves now that she was finally here. Had it been a wise idea to bring Vader along her? Did her parents even live here anymore? Was it possible that they weren't even alive? It had been nearly two decades since she had last seen them after all…

"Are you okay, Mom?"

Padmé turned her head to see Leia's concerned face looking back at her. Smiling at her, Padmé reached out and took her daughter's hand. "Of course I am," she said disingenuously. "I'm so excited for you to finally meet them."

Turning back to face her quaint childhood home, Padmé took a deep breath. Still holding Leia's hand, Padmé stepped forward towards the front steps.

"Are you coming, Father?" she heard Luke ask from behind her.

"You go ahead," Vader said. "I'll join you later." They had agreed that it was probably a bad idea to introduce Vader unannounced after what had happened last time. Padmé would go in first and introduce the kids, and only then would she inform her parents that Vader was here.

Turning around, Padmé nodded at Vader who reciprocated the gesture and leaned against the side of the rental speeder. While Luke didn't seem happy with this, he made no attempt to convince his father to accompany them. "Come on, Luke," Padmé said. "Your father will be fine."

Releasing Leia's hand, Padmé climbed the steps and approached the front door. Without hesitating, Padmé nocked thrice. Glancing back at Luke and Leia who were standing just behind her, she gave them a wink. Padmé turned her head around quickly when she heard the front door swing open. Standing in the doorframe was her sister, Sola. Her hair was greying slightly where it parted, but otherwise looked more or less exactly as she had nineteen years.

The sisters stared each other silently for a few moments. Sola froze, her mouth hanging open in shock. "Hello, Sola," Padmé said finally with a broad smile.

Sola blinked a few times as if to confirm that Padmé was indeed standing right in front of her. "Is it really you?" she asked finally, her voice cracking slightly.

"It is," Padmé replied.

"Oh, Padmé!" Sola practically leapt on Padmé and enveloped her in a bone-breaking hug. Winded yet not surprised, Padmé returned the hug with equal enthusiasm. Closing her eyes tight, Padmé felt tears begin to emerge. Smelling the indescribable yet distinct scent of her childhood home on Sola's dress, Padmé felt her composure begin to disintegrate. Sola released her just before she began to completely break down, however, and Padmé regained herself somewhat.

"Come in! Come in!" Sola said, her own face wet as well. "Mom and Dad are here, of course. They'll be so excited to…" Sola's voice trailed off when she noticed Luke and Leia standing behind Padmé.

"Oh! Sola, these are my children. Luke and Leia," Padmé said, noticing Sola's confusion.

Sola's eyes widened as she looked back at Padmé. "Your children? But I thought…"

"I'll explain everything inside, Sola," Padmé said, eager to get indoors.

"Of course," Sola said, stepping aside. "Come in."

Padmé felt as if she was stepping back in time when she entered the house. Everything seemed exactly as it had nineteen years ago. "Sola, who is it?" came a male voice. Emerging from hallway was Sola's husband Darred. It was clear Darred didn't recognize Padmé, because he turned to Sola with a questioning look.

Did she really look that different? It had been nineteen years, but Padmé didn't think she had aged too much in that time. To be fair, she had barely known Sola's husband, but still…

"Darred, where are Mom and Dad?" Sola asked.

"There still in the kitchen," he said, clearly confused. "What is –"

Yet Sola ignored him, beckoning Padmé forward into the house towards the kitchen. Luke and Leia followed her closely, clearly feeling out of place. Padmé's heart began to beat faster as she approached the kitchen. "Mom, Dad, someone's here to see you," Sola said.

Sola stepped aside, revealing Padmé behind her. Padmé saw that the kitchen too was exactly as she had remembered it. Sitting at the head of the table with a newspaper in his lap was her father, Ruwee. He was wearing a pair of reading glasses and looked much older than he had nineteen years ago. His hair was white and his face was lined with wrinkles. Busying herself in the kitchen was her mother, Jobal. She too looked considerably older and had seemed to have shrunk a few inches over the years. Assisting her in the kitchen was one of Padmé's nieces, although she didn't know which it was because she hadn't seen them since they were little children.

Neither of her parents looked up when Sola spoke as both were too busy with their respective tasks. "Who's that?" Ruwee asked gruffly as he folded the newspaper. Padmé took a step into the room, a faint smile on her lips as she observed the blissful domestic scene before her.

"Your daughter," she said.

Jobal looked up and let out a yelp when she saw Padmé. Dropping a ladle with a clang, Jobal scurried around the island in the kitchen and ran towards Padmé. "Padmé!" she exclaimed before wrapping her arms around her. Out of her peripheral vision, Padmé saw her father jump out of his seat, the forgotten newspaper tumbling to the ground. Releasing her mother, whom she noticed was now significantly shorter than herself, Padmé turned to her father. With tears in his eyes, Ruwee opened his arms wide and enveloped her in a far stronger hug.

Ruwee only released her when Padmé stepped on his foot and said "Dad, you're strangling me!" Stepping back, Ruwee apologized and made a futile attempt to dry his tear-filled eyes.

"Oh, Padmé! You've finally returned!" her mother said, reaching out and clasping her hand tightly with both of her own. "We thought you'd never return."

"Is he dead?" Ruwee asked, his tone suddenly darker. "Is that why you can finally visit us?"

Padmé hesitated, not knowing how much she wanted to reveal about Vader just yet. "It's complicated," she said finally. "But I will tell you everything in time. For now, I want you to meet your grandchildren." Stepping aside as Sola had done, Padmé revealed Luke and Leia who had been standing behind her. Beckoning them into the kitchen, Luke and Leia each took a cautious step forward.

"These are my children, Luke and Leia," Padmé said.

Jobal gasped and put her hands over her mouth while Ruwee narrowed his eyes. "Are they his?" he asked suspiciously.

"Anakin is their father, yes," Padmé answered nervously. "Although they only just discovered this."

"What do you mean?" Sola asked, rejoining the conversation.

Padmé glanced over at her sister, unsure what to say. Jobal, however, seemed uninterested in this conversation and after recovering from her initial shock stepped forward to give each of her grandchildren a hug.

"It's so wonderful to meet you!" she said after she released Leia who was looking somewhat overwhelmed.

"I thought you got away from that man," Ruwee said to Padmé, his expression stormy. "I thought you escaped."

Padmé sighed, realizing what her father must have thought. He had thought that her child had died, so he logically assumed that she had had Luke and Leia with Vader sometime later. "Perhaps I should explain everything now," she said.

"Yes, you should," Ruwee said. "Let's sit down."

Walking over to the kitchen table, Padmé stopped to extend her hand to her niece. "Are you Ryoo or Pooja?" she asked.

"Ryoo," she said faintly, shaking Padmé's hand with a stunned expression.

"Wonderful to meet you again," Padmé said with a twinkle in her eye. Releasing Ryoo's hand, Padmé sat down opposite her father at the head of the table. Leia sat down directly to Padmé's left while Luke stood behind his mother as there weren't enough seats. Once everyone but Luke had been seated, Padmé began her story.

"Nineteen years ago, I left here to go to Tatooine," she began. "I hoped that I would be able to find Anakin's old master Obi-Wan Kenobi there. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to find him. While I was there I came across a lovely young couple and their baby boy, Luke. Little did I know, that boy was actually my son, Luke Skywalker."

Padmé sensed Luke stiffen behind her as he heard his true name spoken aloud for the first time. Jobal raised her eyebrows, visibly confused. "But Padmé, I thought the child died?"

"That was what I was told," Padmé answered. "But I soon thereafter learned that I had been lied to. The Jedi decided to take Luke and Leia away from me and told me that they had died so that I wouldn't go looking for them. They wanted to hide them from their father and eventually use them to destroy the Sith." Jobal put her hand over her mouth in horror, utterly shocked that the Jedi would do something so horrible.

"I left Tatooine without Luke as I didn't know he was my son," Padmé continued, choking up slightly. "I will be forever ashamed for this."

"You don't need to blame yourself, Mother," Luke said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "You couldn't possibly have known."

Padmé placed a hand on top of Luke's and swallowed hard. "Thank you, Luke," she said weakly. "But I'll never forgive myself for leaving you." The table was silent for a while as everyone waited for Padmé to resume. Taking a shaky breath, Padmé released Luke's hand and continued with her story.

"After leaving Tatooine, I went to Alderaan to find Bail Organa whom I hoped would be able to help me hide from my husband. It was on Alderaan where I discovered Leia." Padmé paused and gave Leia a watery smile. "Bail informed me that my child hadn't died after all, and that he had thought that I had died in childbirth."

"Why didn't Bail tell you about Luke?" Leia asked suddenly.

Padmé paused, not having considered this question before. Now that she thought about it, Bail must have known about Luke because he had been the one to deliver Luke to Obi-Wan on Tatooine. So why hadn't he told her that she had had a son as well? Padmé felt a sudden surge of rage when she realized what must have happened. The bastard must have deliberately not told her about Luke! Why had he done that? Had he been operating on Yoda's orders?

"Padmé?" Sola asked, concerned by her expression.

Padmé looked up, her eyes wide. "I'm sorry," she said, determined to get through the rest of her story. Yet this betrayal would not be forgotten. The man whom she had most trusted for the past two decades hadn't told her about her own son! "Um… where was I?" she asked, struggling to keep her voice calm.

"You just got to Alderaan," Leia told her, a concerned expression on her face. Perhaps she too had realized what must have happened.

"Oh, that's right. So I raised Leia on Alderaan under the protection of the Organas," she said, enunciating this last part with particular bitterness. "For nineteen years we lived in relative peace and security. I couldn't contact you, of course, because I feared that Anakin would be able to track me." Padmé paused when she noticed Ruwee's stormy expression. Getting her father to welcome Vader into his home was going to be a significant challenge, she realized.

"We could have continued living that way, but Leia was too ambitious and bright to be held back like that," she said, her voice glowing with pride. "She wanted to go into politics like I did. I was hesitant to let her go, but I eventually relented. Leia pretended to be Bail and Breha's daughter as she of course couldn't go by her real name, Skywalker."

"That's not my real name," Leia said quickly. "I'd much rather be a Naberrie." Ruwee beamed at his granddaughter, but Padmé gave her a stern look.

"Anakin Skywalker is your father and you will use his name," she said much to her parents' bewilderment. Leia opened her mouth to offer a retort, but Padmé cut her off. "As I was saying, Leia went off into politics under the pseudonym Leia Organa. She began to get involved with the Rebellion, which Bail and I were already members of. Due to her influential position as a member of the Imperial Senate, Leia was entrusted with increasingly meaningful and risky tasks. Eventually, she was imprisoned and taken to the Death Star by her own father.

Leia didn't know Anakin was her father as I had hidden that information from her for her safety. She only knew him as Darth Vader, the notorious enemy of the Rebellion. Leia thought that Vader would want to know the location of the Rebel Base, but instead he asked about my whereabouts. Leia was understandably confused, but nonetheless didn't reveal any information. She was eventually rescued by Luke and Obi-Wan and escaped to the Rebel Base on Yavin 4.

There is a lot more to the story, of course, but soon thereafter I received a message from Obi-Wan whom I had thought was dead. Obi-Wan asked me to meet him on Corsin because he wanted my help in turning Anakin away from the Dark Side. When I went to meet him, however, I found out that Anakin had abducted Obi-Wan and forced him to send that message."

"He found you?" Ruwee asked. "Then where is he?"

"Outside," Padmé replied.

Ruwee's eyes widened in shock. "He's outside right now?" he shouted, gripping the arms of his chair tightly. "In my front yard!"

Padmé winced, her fears being realized before her eyes. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you, Dad," she said. "But please, please listen to me!" Ruwee gave her an incredulous look but didn't say anything, waiting to hear what she had to say. "I don't deny that Anakin has done terrible things," she said in a whisper as if fearing that Vader would somehow hear her. "But I think he can be turned. I can't do that without your help, however."

Ruwee pursed his lips and leaned back in his chair. "How can you forgive him for what he has done? I thought you had principles, Padmé." he asked icily.

"I do," Padmé said defensively. "And I haven't forgiven him. But that is beside the point. If I can turn Anakin against the Emperor, it will end the war peacefully! Don't you see that? Anakin is the key to all of this."

"He's not welcome here!" Ruwee said, pointing a finger at her across the table. "I will not allow that monster into my home!"

"Dad, please!" Padmé pleaded. "You don't understand how important it is that he feel appreciated. If he knows that he has a family that loves and supports him, he will turn against the Emperor, I'm sure of it!"

Ruwee clenched his jaw and looked away, reminding Padmé very much of Leia. Exasperated, Padmé turned to her mother for help. "You understand, don't you Mom?" she asked. Jobal pursed her lips and looked down at the table. "All Anakin has ever cared about is family!" Padmé said, desperately trying to convince them. "The Jedi took that away from him and forced him to turn to the Dark Side! Now that he finally has a family, he has no reason to remain loyal to the Emperor!"

"That may be true, Padmé, but how can we accept him as a part of our family after all the horrible things he's done?" Sola asked.

"You don't have to!" Padmé cried. "Just don't alienate him and call him a monster! I'll do all the work if you let me, just give him a chance!"

The table was silent for a long while. Jobal looked back and forth between Padmé and Ruwee, seemingly conflicted between supporting her daughter or her husband. Finally, she broke the silence. "Alright, Padmé," she said. "Let him in."

"Jobal!" Ruwee exclaimed. "You can't be serious?"

"I trust Padmé's judgment," her mother said, staring down Ruwee's incredulous eyes. "I don't like him anymore than you do, Ruwee, but if Padmé says there is a chance to turn him and bring an end to the Empire then I believe her."

Ruwee shook his head but offered no rebuttal. Interpreting this as an approval to invite Anakin into the house, Padmé turned to look up at Luke. "Luke, please go fetch your father," she said. Glancing at Ruwee, Luke nodded once and left the room speedily. They all listened as Luke's footsteps receded and heard the front door open and close. They waited in a tense silence for a few moments, nervously anticipating Vader's arrival. They all collectively inhaled sharply when they heard the front door open again and listened as now two sets of footsteps approached.

Luke emerged in the kitchen first and dutifully walked back to his place by Padmé's side. A moment later, Vader's figure appeared in the doorframe. Vader paused at the edge of the kitchen, clearly uncomfortable with all the eyes on him. Vader turned to Padmé, clearly looking for some help.

"Why don't you stand over here, Anakin," she suggested, gesturing to her right flank. Obliging silently, Vader walked across the room to stand by Padmé, he and Luke now standing on either side of her chair. Vader made a gesture as if he was going to put a hand on Padmé's shoulder, but stopped when he met Ruwee's fiery glare. Instead he awkwardly put his hands behind his back.

"Anakin, this is my sister Sola. And this is her husband Darred and her daughter Ryoo," Padmé said, breaking the oppressive silence. "You've met once before, I believe."

"Twenty-two years ago," Vader said, nodding to Sola, Ryoo, and Darred stiffly. "I remember it well."

Nobody said anything, electing instead to stare back at Vader with a mixture of disgust and curiosity. Padmé knew she had to do something fast or else the awkwardness might drive her insane. "Do you need any help in the kitchen, Mom?" she asked casually.

Jobal raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Do I…? Oh, if you're offering, I suppose –"

"I was thinking Anakin could help," Padmé said cheerfully. "He's remarkably helpful with household tasks, you know."

"Oh! Um… of course," she said faintly. Relieved to have something to do, Vader followed his tiny mother-in-law into the kitchen. Padmé had only just turned her head back to the table when she heard Jobal yelp in shock. Spinning her head back to the kitchen, Padmé saw dozens of sliced carrots floating in air. Apologizing profusely, Vader clearly didn't know what he had done wrong.

"Put them in the pot!" Jobal cried, recovering from her initial shock. "Don't just leave them floating there!"

Grinning, Padmé turned back to the table where she met Ruwee's narrowed eyes. "You think he can win us over with parlor tricks?" he asked quietly so that Vader wouldn't hear him.

"No," Padmé replied. "But I do think he can be helpful around the house." Scowling, Ruwee crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair, clearly unimpressed with Padmé's attempt at levity.

"I'm going to go help Mom," Padmé said. "How about you get to know your grandchildren?" Not waiting for a response, Padmé stood up and walked over to the kitchen. "How's it going?" she asked her mother lightly when she arrived.

Jobal gave her a stressed look. "He is very… expedient," she said, glancing at Vader who was now happily peeling half a dozen onions at once.

"Give him a chance, Mom," Padmé said in a whisper.

Jobal gave Padmé a skeptical look and returned to stirring the pot. Vexed, Padmé walked over to the sink and stood next to Vader. "How's it going?" she asked.

"I haven't cooked in years," he said enthusiastically, dropping the onions onto a cutting board with his mind. Padmé jumped back when a knife came soaring through the air and began cutting on its own accord. "The Jedi never allowed me to explore my culinary talents, you know."

"That is a shame," she said playfully, encouraged by how casual they were acting around each other. Padmé looked up at Vader and contemplated his face. He hadn't changed much over the past few years, although he no longer had his long, dirty blonde locks which Padmé had loved so much. Instead, he was sporting a well-trimmed beard, the flecks of grey on his chin the only evidence of his age. Padmé had to admit, he looked great…

"You like the beard?" he asked, noticing Padmé's gaze.

"Huh? Oh, sorry I was just –"

"I'll shave it if you don't like it," Vader said quickly, misinterpreting the reason for her fluster.

"No, it's not that… wait, you'd shave just because I asked?" she asked, surprised by this for some reason.

"Of course," Anakin said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "I haven't had any idea what to do with myself without you," he said. "For more reasons than one," he added, suddenly conscious the magnitude of that particular statement.

Padmé's eyes widened at this proclamation. Vader too seemed to realize that he had said something unexpectedly romantic. He dropped the knife down on to the cutting board and turned to look at her. Mesmerized by Vader's eyes, Padmé felt a sudden urge to kiss him. She hadn't felt this way in so many years…

"Anakin, are those onions ready?"

Padmé shook herself back to reality. Looking away, she cleared her throat to relieve some of the awkwardness.

"Oh, um… yeah," Vader said, clearly annoyed at being interrupted. "I'm almost done cutting them."

While Vader was distracted, Padmé quietly slipped away. What had gotten into her? Had she forgotten who this man was? Why was she falling for him like this? Was it that by pretending to ignore the terrible things he had done in the past, she had inadvertently lost an objective perspective on the situation?

Taking a deep, steadying breath, Padmé attempted to quell these thoughts and made her way to rejoin Luke and Leia, Vader's blue eyes still burned in her mind.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

As the night wound down, the Naberries were presented with an unfortunate logistical dilemma. Han and Obi-Wan had not joined them, electing to stay with the Millennium Falcon instead, but nonetheless her parents' house didn't have enough space for all of them. There was her parents' master bedroom, Padmé and Sola's old bedrooms, and a single guest room.

"I can sleep in the living room on the couch, it's not a problem," Luke said, resolving a small problem. Leia and Ryoo would have to share the guest room, but neither of them offered any complaints fortunately, although Padmé suspected that Leia wasn't wild about the prospect.

The elephant in the room, however, pertained to Vader and herself. Everybody knew that they would have to share a room. They were married, after all. Padmé could tell that Ruwee was becoming increasingly uneasy with this arrangement as night fell. He kept glancing at Vader suspiciously with increasing frequency. Vader tried his best to pretend that he didn't notice this, but Padmé knew that it was getting on his nerves.

She too felt uncomfortable with the arrangement, especially in light of her moment of weakness in the kitchen that afternoon. Would Vader have…expectations? She knew from experience that he could be extremely persistent if he wanted something. What would she do in that case?

Slowly, everybody began to drift off to bed until only Padmé, Vader, and Luke were left in the living room. Heart pounding, Padmé yawned and announced that she too would be calling it a night.

"Goodnight, Mom," Luke said cheerfully, he alone being oblivious to the tension of the situation. Much to her relief, Vader didn't follow her right away which allowed her to get changed for bed quickly without being in the presence of his prying eyes. Padmé was brushing her hair absently in front of her mirror when Vader finally walked in. He stood in the doorframe silently for a few moments, watching her from a distance.

"I've always loved your hair," he said eventually.

Padmé stiffened and placed the comb back down on her dresser. "It's not going to happen, Anakin," she said, looking at him through the mirror.

Vader frowned and tilted his head in confusion. "What are you talking about?" he asked innocently.

Padmé sighed and looked away from the mirror. "Don't be so dense. You know what I'm talking about."

"Oh," Vader said, dropping the façade of ignorance. "Well, I just thought that…"

"Thought what?" Padmé asked, turning to look at him.

Looking uncomfortable, Vader wringed his hands and looked away. "It's just, you know… been a while," he said, unable to make eye contact with her. "For me, at least. I don't know about you…"

Realizing what he was getting at, Padmé cringed inadvertently. "I haven't been with anyone since you, Ani," she said. "If that's what you were wondering."

"Oh," Vader said, looking visibly relieved. "I thought that maybe…"

"That I had been unfaithful?" she provided, crossing her arms in front of herself indignantly.

"No! Well kind of…" Vader said, his left foot tapping the floor rapidly. "I thought you might have moved on, that's all."

"Well I didn't," Padmé said in a high voice, the awkwardness so severe that it seemed to be constricting her throat. Unable to bear it anymore, Padmé stood up and moved to open a window. She felt Vader's eyes on her as she turned away from him.

"Well, in that case –"

"It's not going to happen," she repeated, taking a deep breath of the night air. She could see Vader's face drop through his distorted reflection in the window.

"Oh," he said dejectedly. "Are you no longer… attracted to me?"

Padmé spun around, surprised by this question. Did he seriously not understand? "I'm not going to pretend like everything is back to normal, Anakin," she said sharply. "Because it's not."

"But –"

"I married Anakin Skywalker, not Darth Vader!" she said, stepping towards him. "I do love you, Anakin. You know that I do. But I can't be your wife if you continue to serve that horrible man!" Now only a foot in front of him, Padmé reached up and placed her hands on the side of his face. "It's an easy choice, Anakin," she said softly. "Him or me. You can't have both."

Vader stared into Padmé's eyes for a long while without saying anything. Finally, he closed his eyes and tore his face out of Padmé's hands. "It's not that simple," he said wearily. "I… I can't be the man you want me to be."

"But you can!" Padmé pleaded passionately. "I know you can! You're a good man still, Anakin, why can't you see that?" Vader said nothing, his eyes still shut tight. "Look at how Luke looks at you," she said, grabbing his chin and forcing him to look at her. "Look at how I'm looking at you right now!"

A single tear rolled down Vader's cheek as he looked back at her. "He's wrong to look at me that way, and so are you," he said, sinking Padmé's spirits.

"Ugh!" Padmé exclaimed, releasing him and walking away in frustration. "You need to get over yourself, Anakin!" she cried, no longer caring if the rest of the house heard her. "Yes, you've done horrible things! Yes, you probably don't deserve me or your children! But that doesn't matter to me! I want you to be my husband again! I want you to be Luke and Leia's father!"

Slouching somewhat, Vader took two heavy steps and collapsed onto the bed. His head sinking in between his legs, Vader put his hands on the back of his head. Saddened by this pitiful sight, Padmé walked back over to him and sat down beside him on the edge of the bed. "You can't let the past dictate your life," she whispered to him, wrapping her arm around his back. "It's time to let it all go."

Slowly, Vader sat back upright and turned to look at her, his eyes shining with tears. "You really are an angel, aren't you?" he said with a hint of a smile.

"Maybe I am," she said, reciprocating his smile and placing a hand on his cheek. "I will save you, Anakin. You just have to let me."

* * *

Padmé woke the next morning in Vader's arms, the early morning light blinding her slightly as she reoriented herself. She didn't want to move. She wanted to savor this moment for as long as she could. It had been ages since the last time she had woken up in her husband's comforting arms. For the briefest of moments, she could pretend as if nothing had changed since then. Here they were, together at last in this sliver of bliss.

Yet she knew it wasn't true, of course. Disentangling herself gently from Vader so as not to wake him, Padmé slipped out of bed. Crossing the room, she shut the window with a shiver. She had evidently forgotten to close it last night. Padmé paused, staring sightlessly out the now closed window as she reflected on last night. Had she succeeded? She wasn't really sure. He certainly hadn't committed to turning from the Dark Side, but she hadn't really expected him to. Instead, she was slowly breaking through to him, reminding him that he was loved and that he needed to let the past go.

Turning around to look at Vader's sleeping figure, she contemplated the ethicality of her methods. She was lying to him, in a way. She did care about what he had done, and she suspected that she would never be able to forgive him fully. Yet she pretended as if she didn't care. It was all for the greater good, she told herself, but could she really keep up this performance?

On top of this, she felt as if she was losing control over her own game. It was as if she was slowly beginning to believe her own lies. She had managed to keep Vader at arm's length for now, but she suspected it was only a matter of time before she folded. There was something about him that just made him irresistible to her. She hadn't slept with him last night, but she couldn't deny that she had wanted to. What was wrong with her? Why did she have to constantly remind herself that her husband was actually a monster?

He was simultaneously her greatest weakness and her greatest strength. Without him, she was principled and dignified, yet also lonely and aloof. When she was with him, her principles and all sense of morality seemed to disappear. Yet at the same time, she never felt more alive and more cherished than when she was in his arms. He was like a drug to her!

Feeling frustrated, Padmé left the bedroom and headed towards the kitchen. She had expected to be the first one up that morning, but instead she found Leia meandering about the kitchen, looking through the cabinets for something. "What are you doing up so early?" she asked, knowing that Leia tended to be a late sleeper.

Startled, Leia spun around quickly. "Oh, it's you," she said, recovering from her initial shock. "Ryoo's a blanket hogger," she explained bitterly. "I couldn't sleep."

"I see," Padmé said with a smile. "I'm sorry about that."

Leia finally found what she was looking for and closed the cabinet. Clutching a bowl which Padmé remembered from her childhood, Leia gave her a probing look. "How was your night?" she asked cautiously.

"Fine," Padmé said cryptically, walking past Leia towards the fridge.

"I heard you fighting with Vader," Leia said to Padmé's back. "Are you sure that –"

"I'm fine, Leia," Padmé said shrilly. "And we weren't fighting."

"You weren't?" Leia said skeptically. "It sure sounded like you were." Padmé didn't respond, electing instead to busy herself with making a pot of coffee. "Mom, I'm worried about you," Leia said.

"I know you are," Padmé said with a sigh. "And I appreciate your concern, but I know what I'm doing, okay?"

"That's the thing. I don't think you do," Leia replied.

Padmé turned around and gave Leia a frown. "What is that supposed to mean?" she asked irritably.

"You're not objective with him," Leia said, undeterred by Padmé's defensiveness. "Don't think I don't see the way you look at him."

"I am plenty objective!" Padmé retorted despite knowing that Leia was entirely correct. "I don't appreciate your tone, young lady."

"Did you have sex with him?" Leia asked, crossing her arms.

Padmé's eyes widened in shock. "Leia!" she exclaimed. "How dare you?"

"It's a simple question," Leia shot back.

"That is none of your business," Padmé said indignantly.

Leia opened her mouth to reply but closed it again when she heard footsteps. Turning her head, Padmé saw Luke emerge from the living room, his hair messy. "What's going on?" he asked, stifling a yawn. "Why are you fighting?"

Leia scowled at Luke, clearly irritated at having been interrupted. "You're just as bad as she is," she told him.

"Huh?" Luke asked, caught off guard.

"Neither of you can see him for who he is!" Leia said, keeping her voice low so that she wouldn't wake anyone else up. "He stood by and watched Alderaan get destroyed without raising a finger! Or did you all forget about that?"

"Of course we didn't, Leia," Padmé said.

"Then explain all this!" Leia said, holding her hands up. "Why are we pretending like we're a happy little family?"

"Nobody's pretending that," Luke said unexpectedly. Leia turned to him, surprised to hear him say something that could be interpreted as supportive of her. "But that doesn't mean we can't try to make things right," he added.

"There's no making this right, Luke!" Leia retorted, her lower lip trembling. "Alderaan is g-gone, and nobody seems to care. I can't sleep at night without seeing it happen all over again! Over and over and over…"

Padmé started forward to comfort Leia who had dissolved into tears, but much to her shock, Luke beat her to the punch. Enveloping her trembling form into a gentle hug, Luke placed his hand on the back of Leia's head and allowed her to cry into his shoulder. "We care, Leia," he whispered to her as Padmé watched, stunned by this turn of events. "We're here for you."

Although she was only a few feet away, Padmé felt as if she was watching Luke and Leia through a pair of binoculars. While she was immensely proud of Luke for acting in the way he had, Padmé couldn't help but feel terrible that she wasn't the one consoling Leia. Now that she thought about it, she had neglected Leia ever since being reunited with Vader. Leia had been the most important person to her for the past nineteen years and she loved her daughter more than anything. Yet despite this, Padmé had barely considered Leia's point of view over the past week.

Of course, Padmé had had a lot to deal with over the past few days, but this didn't excuse her of her obligations as Leia's mother. The poor girl had been forced to watch her home get annihilated! And what had Padmé done? Nothing.

The moment Luke released Leia, Padmé rushed forward and crushed her daughter in a second hug. Caught off guard, Leia stopped crying and opened her eyes. "Mom, you're hurting me!" she wheezed, struggling to breathe due to the strength of the hug.

"I'm so, so sorry," Padmé said, loosening her grip a fraction so that Leia could breathe. "I've been so horrible to you lately." Leia said nothing, electing to rest her chin on Padmé's shoulder silently instead. Rocking her back in forth like she used to do when she was a baby, Padmé closed her eyes and relished in the warmth of her daughter's body for a few moments.

"You're the most important person in the world to me, you know that?" she whispered in Leia's ear, hoping that perhaps Luke wouldn't hear this. "Don't think that I don't love you because of everything that has happened."

"I know," Leia said in a muffled voice. "I've just felt so isolated."

"That's my fault," Padmé said, releasing her and holding her at arm's length. "I've let you down, Leia." Padmé felt Leia stiffen suddenly, her eyes looking at something behind her head. Turning around to see what Leia was looking at, Padmé saw Vader standing in the doorframe wearing a robe.

"Is everything all right?" he asked when he saw the scene in front of him.

Padmé glanced back at Leia, fearful that she was going to unload on him. She didn't look angry like Padmé expected. Instead, she seemed to be tired more than anything else.

"Did you support Tarkin?" Leia asked abruptly. "Did you endorse Alderaan's destruction?"

Vader looked away from Padmé to Leia quickly, his expression indiscernible. "Would it change anything?" he asked.

Leia hesitated, considering this question. "It might," she said eventually.

Vader narrowed his eyes as he stared back at Leia. Padmé quietly stepped aside to give him a clearer view. "I told you what I thought of Tarkin," Vader said in a flat voice. "I always thought the Death Star was an abomination. Does that make me innocent? Not in the slightest."

"No, it doesn't," Leia said, looking back at Vader curiously.

Padmé looked between Vader and Leia with cautious optimism. The very fact that Leia was even talking to him was encouraging in its own right. Yawning, Leia turned back to Padmé.

"Do you mind if I sleep in your room?" she asked. "I haven't slept in a long time."

"Of course you can," Padmé said. As Leia made her way to leave the kitchen, Padmé reached out and grabbed her wrist. "You're not alone, Leia," she said softly. "I'll always be here for you, okay?"

Nodding, Leia gave her a weak smile for turning to leave. Once they heard the door to Padmé's bedroom close, Vader turned to Padmé with an inquisitive look. "What was that all about?" he asked.

"She's feeling very isolated," Padmé answered, using Leia's own words. "I haven't done a good enough job supporting her after Alderaan."

"I see," Vader said, looking uncomfortable. No doubt he was feeling terribly guilty about inadvertently inflicting so much pain on his daughter.

"It's not your fault, Mother," Luke said, rejoining the conversation. "You've had a lot to deal with as well."

"Thank you, Luke," Padmé said, smiling sweetly at her angel of a son. "But that doesn't excuse my behavior."

The rest of the morning was bizarrely tranquil after the tumultuous morning. After Darred and Ryoo had gone off to work, the Naberries and Skywalkers (sans Leia who was still sleeping) had a pleasant afternoon. While Ruwee's dirty looks to Vader had not relented, everyone else seemed much more at ease around him than they did yesterday. Perhaps the fact that he was acting like a totally normal, loving husband was having an effect of their perceptions of Vader.

Yet the blithe attitude came to an abrupt end when something in Vader's pocket began to vibrate. Padmé and he had been sitting in the living room watching Luke and Ruwee planting some marigolds in the front garden through the window. Padmé looked away from the window, a smile still painted across her face, to see what the noise was. Vader was holding his comlink, his eyes wide with fear.

"It's him," he whispered as if the comlink could hear him. "It's the Emperor."

"Don't answer it!" Padmé hissed, a flood of terror washing over her. Did the Emperor know that Vader had survived? Why else would he be attempting to make contact with him?

Vader looked extremely uncomfortable as he held the vibrating comlink in his hand. "I've never not answered a call from him," he said anxiously. "He said he'd torture me if I didn't answer right away."

"What!?" Padmé asked, incredulously. "He would torture you?"

Vader nodded, his forehead glistening with sweat. Finally, the comlink ceased vibrating and they gave a collective sigh of relief. "Anakin, you mean to tell me he's tortured you before?" she asked.

"Sort of…" Vader said, looking away from Padmé's horrified expression.

"Why would you let him, Anakin?" Padmé asked, utterly bewildered by how the most powerful Force wielder in the Galaxy would allow himself to be subjected to such brutal treatment.

"Because I deserved it!" Vader said, standing up suddenly.

"Of course you didn't –"

"For nineteen years I thought I was responsible for killing my child and driving my wife away! Of course I deserved to be punished!"

Padmé closed her mouth, looking back at Vader sadly. This was how Sidious controlled him, Padmé realized. By turning him against the people he had loved, Sidious had molded Vader into a subservient slave, too depressed about his own failings to ever consider betraying his Master.

Standing up as well, Padmé crossed the room and put a hand on his chest. "You don't deserve to be punished, Anakin. At least not anymore. You didn't kill your child and I'm back by your side. Don't let him torment you anymore!"

Vader looked down from her back to his comlink which was still clutched in his gloved, mechanical hand. Contemplating it for a few moments, Vader suddenly clenched his hand with such force that the comlink crumpled and then broke into several tiny pieces. Padmé yelped and jumped back, shocked by this sudden and brutal force.

Vader opened his hand and dropped the remaining shards of the comlink onto the floor, his face contorted in rage. Nervously, Padmé looked up to meet his steely eyes. "You're right," he said. "I'm done serving that bastard."


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

She hadn't meant to kiss him, but Padmé had been so overwhelmed with relief that she had finally gotten Vader to turn on the Emperor that she had acted spontaneously. Sure, she could justify it later as being a strategic move in order to assure Vader that he had made the right choice, but the reality of the situation was that she had simply acted on instinct. Vader had understandably been caught off guard when she jumped into his arms, but he soon returned the kiss with equal passion.

Padmé jolted backwards, however, when she heard the front door open. Regaining her senses, she saw Ruwee walk past them into the kitchen, a scowl on his face as he noticed Vader. Sighing in relief at having not been caught, Padmé looked up at Vader sheepishly. Vader was blinking rapidly, seemingly paralyzed by the unexpected kiss.

"I'm sorry," she said, although she knew Vader certainly hadn't been offended. "I'm just so happy to hear you say that." Vader nodded dumbly, his lips still parted. Giggling girlishly at his reaction, Padmé reached out and grabbed his hand. "Come on," she said. "I want to tell Leia the news."

"Wait, I –"

"What?" Padmé asked, suddenly afraid that he was going to change his mind.

"I… I don't know what I'm doing, Padmé," he said pathetically.

"Then let me show you the way," she said, standing up on her toes to kiss him once again. This time, however, they were allowed to stay that way uninterrupted. After a long while – it may have been thirty seconds or an hour, Padmé couldn't know for sure – she finally stepped away, a huge grin on her face. "Do you think you can do that?" she asked.

"If you keep kissing me like that, I think so," Vader responded with a smile.

"Hmm," Padmé said in mock contemplation. "We'll see about that." Vader leaned in again but Padmé thwarted him by putting a finger on his lips. "Slow down there," she said with an impish grin. "There's plenty of time for that later."

Grabbing Vader's wrist, Padmé practically dragged him out of the living room towards the kitchen. "Wait, Padmé! Ow!" Vader protested. Padmé ignored him, however, not wanting to let him squirm out of his commitment. Reaching the kitchen, Padmé saw that Leia had finally woken up as she was sitting at the kitchen table, a steaming cup of tea in front of her. Sola and Jobal were standing by the kitchen window, talking about something.

"Where's Dad?" Padmé asked when she entered the room.

Sola turned around. She raised an eyebrow when she noticed Padmé clutching Vader's wrist. "Mom made him take a shower," she said. "I think Luke's still outside in the garden."

"Oh," Padmé said, somewhat disappointed that she wasn't going to be able to show up her father right now. "Well we can tell them later, I suppose."

"Tell them what?" Sola asked. Leia too looked inquisitive, sitting upright in her seat as she pushed her tea away from her.

"You tell them," Padmé said, turning to look at Vader with an expectant smile. Vader looked uncomfortable, clearly less enthusiastic about this decision than Padmé was.

"I, um… well I've decided to abandon the Empire," he said, his eyes fixated on his feet. His words were followed by an oppressive silence much to Padmé's consternation.

"This is great news!" Padmé said, vexed by the lack of reaction. "Don't you agree, Leia?" she asked, putting her on the spot.

Leia narrowed her eyes at Vader who still wasn't making eye contact with anyone. "Why now?" she asked skeptically. "What's changed?"

"Leia –"

"I want to hear it from him," Leia said, interrupting Padmé.

Vader finally looked up and met Leia's gaze. "Do you doubt my sincerity?" he asked accusatively.

"Yes, I do," Leia responded without hesitation.

Vader's nostrils flared irritably and he looked away to Padmé for help. Padmé said nothing, however, curious to see how he would handle this. Leia undeniably made a good point which Padmé had been unwilling to consider. Why had Vader changed his mind? Was it that she had finally gotten through to him or was it for a more superficial reason? Could it just be that he wanted her and would do anything to appease her?

"Why does it matter why I'm doing it?" Vader countered. "Shouldn't you be happy that I'm no longer an opponent to your Rebellion?"

"_My_ Rebellion?" Leia said incredulously. "What do you think this is? There is no in between, Vader. You're either with the Empire or you're with the Rebellion."

"Well I'm with neither," Vader said petulantly, crossing his arms in front of him defensively.

"You're pathetic," Leia said, standing up to face him. "You know the Empire is evil, so why won't you oppose it?"

"Things aren't so simple, young one," Vader said, raising a finger. "Nothing is ever purely evil or purely good."

"Are you suggesting the Empire has redeemable qualities?" Leia asked. "Because I'd love to hear that."

"You didn't live through the Clone Wars!" Vader said angrily, losing his cool. "The Empire ended the anarchy."

"Oh, because things are so great right now?"

"That's the Rebels' fault!" Vader retorted. "There would have been peace had they not opposed the Emperor."

"Listen to him!" Leia said to Padmé, pointing at Vader. "He's an Imperial through and through. You're lying to yourself if you think you can change him, Mom."

"It's a step, Leia," Padmé said, irritated that Leia was attempting to sabotage her great accomplishment. "Give your father some credit. This was a very big decision for him." Vader nodded emphatically, glad that Padmé was defending him from Leia's verbal onslaught.

Leia shook her head, her eyes brimming with disgust. "You never cared about Alderaan," she said, addressing Vader again. "You were totally fine with Tarkin destroying it."

"That's not true –"

"Yes, it is! All you care about is her!" she yelled, pointing at Padmé. "I see right through you, even if she can't."

Vader said nothing for a long while, yet he didn't look angry like Padmé expected. Instead he was staring back at Leia with a curious expression. It seemed almost as if he was proud of her, although Padmé knew that couldn't possibly be the case.

"You're right," he said finally. "Your mother is the only thing that matters to me anymore. Do you know why?" Leia said nothing, clearly caught off guard by this admittance. "Because everyone else in my life has let me down. The Jedi promised me a life of purpose yet they allowed my mother to die and were ultimately useless when I needed their help. The Emperor promised me the power to save Padmé's life but instead he drove her away from me. Promises mean nothing to me anymore. All I care about is what I know to be true. Your mother's love for me is the only unmistakable truth in an otherwise arbitrary and cruel Galaxy."

Silence greeted the kitchen after Vader had finished his little speech. Leia was staring back at Vader with a stunned expression. Padmé for her part recognized vaguely that this was perhaps the most romantic thing she had ever heard anyone say, yet she also realized how terribly sad it was. Anakin Skywalker had been lied to and manipulated for his entire life. The collective effects of the Jedi and the Sith had turned him into a cynical and horribly unconfident man.

"You have your family now, Anakin," Padmé said, taking a step towards him and placing a hand on his chest. "We won't let you down."

"I know you won't, Padmé," Vader said, looking down at her with a faint smile. "You've always been there for me, even when I didn't deserve it."

"What now?" Sola asked after a brief silence. "What are you going to do, Anakin?"

Vader sighed and shook his head. "I don't know," he said. "Obi-Wan wants me to train the twins."

"And what if I don't want you to train me?" Leia asked.

"I'm not sure I want to do it, either," Vader said. "But I may have to."

"What do you mean?" Padmé asked, secretly hoping that her children wouldn't have to be trained.

"If the Emperor learns of their existence, he will seek to kill them or to turn them against me. In either case, I would prefer for them to be able to defend themselves," Vader explained.

"I can defend myself," Leia said.

"Do you really think you can fend off a Sith Lord with a blaster?" Vader asked sharply. Leia looked down, clearly unable to refute this point.

"What makes you think the Emperor will even come after you?" Padmé asked optimistically. "He has no reason to fear you if you don't oppose him."

"Sidious will not rest until I am dead or back by his side," Vader growled. "Of this I am certain."

"But why?" Padmé asked. "Why is he so obsessed with you?"

Vader shrugged. "I don't know why, but I suspect he's always known that I was powerful, even as a young boy."

Nobody said anything for a while. Sola and Jobal glanced at each other, clearly unsure about whether they should be involved in this conversation or not. Padmé looked between Leia and Vader, trying to get a read on either of them.

"You need to kill him, Anakin," Padmé finally said, taking her hand off his chest and running it down his cheek. "He'll come after your family if you don't take the fight to him."

Looking conflicted, Vader didn't respond at once and instead turned away from Padmé's touch. "I don't know if I can," he said eventually.

"Why not?" Padmé asked.

"Sidious knows how to manipulate me," Vader said with a snarl. "He's controlled me for nineteen years. I don't trust myself to attempt to take him on alone."

"What about Obi-Wan?" Padmé asked, now understanding why Vader thought he needed to train Luke and Leia. "Can't he help you?"

Vader shook his head without consideration. "Obi-Wan is weak. He wouldn't stand a chance against the Emperor." Vader looked away from Padmé towards Leia whose brow was furrowed in concern. "You have no obligation to do this," he told her.

"I… I need to talk to Luke first," she said, stalling.

Padmé stiffened when she saw that Leia was considering taking up Vader's offer. "There has to be another way!" she said, grabbing Vader's arm forcefully. "You'll be putting them in terrible danger, Anakin!"

"What else would you want me to do, Padmé?" Vader asked. "Leave them defenseless for when the Empire comes after them?"

"Hide with the Rebels! They'll protect us!"

"I am not joining forces with the Rebellion!" Vader bellowed, stepping away from Padmé. "I will not affiliate myself with them."

Looking to Leia for support, Padmé was dismayed to see that Leia was not indignant at this statement. Instead, she was looking back at Vader with resolve. "Leia, you don't want this, do you?" Padmé asked desperately.

"No," Leia said calmly, her eyes still meeting Vader's. "But I will do what I must if it means ending the Empire."

Padmé put her hand on her forehead, feeling slightly dizzy. She couldn't let this happen! She had to convince Vader to take on the Emperor alone. She wouldn't let her children be placed in danger like this!

"If she dies, I will never forgive you!" Padmé cried, causing Vader to tear his eyes away from Leia. His eyes were wide with shock at this proclamation. "You're not going to take my children away from me again, Anakin!"

"Padmé, I have to do this," he said.

"No, you don't!" Padmé rebutted. "You're just afraid to take on your Master by yourself! You're being a coward, Anakin!"

"I am not a coward!" Vader bellowed indignantly.

"Yes, you are!" Padmé retorted with equal volume. "Luke and Leia are your children, not pawns in a game!"

"They are the two most powerful Force Sensitives in the Galaxy after myself," Vader said, regaining his cool.

"I don't care! They're my children!"

Frustrated, Vader bit back a retort and turned away from her. Taking a deep breath, he steadied himself before responding. "If Luke and Leia want to be trained, then you do not have the right to prevent that," he said, turning back around to face her. "They're adults now, Padmé."

"Luke isn't an adult!" Padmé exclaimed, pointing in the general direction of where Luke was outside. "He's a boy, Anakin! He would have no idea what he's committing to."

"Of course he would," Vader said dismissively. "He's fought at Yavin, Padmé. He's a soldier now."

Unable to refute this, Padmé struggled to find a counterpoint yet came up empty. Turning red with frustration, Padmé clenched her hands into fists, feeling an irrational urge to take a swing at Vader. He didn't know what it was like to be a parent! He had no regard for Luke or Leia's safety and was planning to use them as human shields!

"I will not allow harm to come to them," Vader said as if reading her mind. "Besides, once they are able to control their powers there will be very little that could possibly present a threat them. They will be far safer this way."

"I've kept Leia safe for nineteen years without your help," Padmé said bitterly.

"You can't protect me anymore, Mom," Leia said.

"Of course I can!" Padmé said angrily, turning to Jobal and Sola for help.

"You can't protect her forever, Padmé," Jobal said. "You have to let her be her own person." Outraged at this betrayal, Padmé was too flustered to speak. Why was her mother was siding with Vader?

"You became a Queen at fourteen!" Sola added. "Leia's old enough to make her own decisions."

Padmé turned to Sola sharply, her jaw clenched so tightly that her face was beginning to tremble. Would the betrayals not cease? Turning back to Vader, Padmé held up a finger to him. "This isn't over," she said with a tremor in her voice. "I'm not going to let you take them away from me."

Vader shook his head solemnly. "No harm will come to them, my love," he said, stepping towards her. Placing his hands on her still shaking shoulders, Vader leaned down and placed a kiss on her forehead. "I will die before I allow that to happen."

Surprised by this declaration, Padmé did her best to hide this and maintain her no-nonsense demeanor. "You better," she said, looking up at him unblinkingly. "Because there will be nothing left for you if you don't."

* * *

Darth Sidious was staring blankly at a holopad as he sat at his desk in his grandiose Senate office. For the first time in his life, he had no idea what to do. Vader had abandoned him. How could this have happened? Vader had been his servant for the past nineteen years, completely and utterly loyal to him. What had changed? Why had Vader left him now? Could it have something to do with Amidala?

Surely that was impossible! Anakin Skywalker was long gone. Even if he had found her, Amidala would want nothing to do with him. Sidious had turned him into a monster.

Yet how else could he explain this development? Understanding why Vader had fled was of the utmost importance to Sidious. Vader represented the sole threat to his rule over the Galaxy. A rogue Vader was a dangerous Vader. If Sidious could not get him to return to his side, he would need to find a way to eliminate him. This was of course far easier said than done. Vader was undeniably the most powerful individual in the Galaxy.

A buzz from his comlink roused Sidious from his thoughts. Sidious pressed a button and activated the device. "What is it?" he asked irritably.

"Your press conference has been scheduled at 1500 hours, your majesty" a voice told him.

"Good," Sidious said. "Is that all?"

'No, my lord. The woman you asked for is waiting in the lobby."

"Excellent," Sidious said. "Send her in."

* * *

Much to Padmé's dismay, Luke had predictably been elated at the prospect of being trained by his father. Padmé had done her best to dissuade him by highlighting the dangers which this would entail, but Luke had assured her that everything would be okay. Outraged that Vader had successfully pulled off his coup, Padmé stormed off to her room and barricaded herself in there like she had done when she was a child. The only person who she could definitively say was on her side was Ruwee who seemed determined to disagree with Vader on everything.

How was it that just an hour ago she had been so optimistic? She had finally succeeded in convincing Vader to abandon the Emperor yet now it seemed as if her accomplishment had only put her children in even greater danger. Luke was too naïve to comprehend the magnitude of his decision. Leia was far less ignorant, but she too did not fully appreciate the danger she had put herself in. Padmé knew that Sidious would find out about them and then he would either seek to kill them or to turn them against their father.

Begrudgingly she admitted that Vader was at least partially correct. Sidious would surely know that Vader had survived the explosion of the Death Star and consequently he would do anything to find him. Vader represented the gravest threat to Sidious' rule now that he was no longer by his side. Luke and Leia wouldn't be safe if they were unable to defend themselves.

But why couldn't Vader accept the Rebels' help? He was so broken and cynical that he couldn't trust anyone anymore. It was simultaneously terribly sad and frustrating how debilitatingly paranoid he had become.

And what would he do to her children? She hadn't vocalized this question, but she was afraid of what might happen to Luke or Leia should they realize their powers. Would they be consumed by lust for power like their father had been? Padmé liked to think that Luke and Leia were nothing like Vader and everything like how Anakin had been, but she couldn't be sure. Leia gave her the most cause for concern. It was no secret that she resented Vader and was only agreed to be trained by him out of necessity to defeat the Emperor. Would she use her new powers to turn on him? Would she be susceptible to the corruptive influence of the Dark Side?

Padmé was mulling over this disturbing question when she heard a knock on her door. "What is it?" she asked irritably, suspecting that it was Vader.

Padmé heard the door open but didn't bother to look around. "Sorry to bother you, Mom," came Luke's nervous voice. Relieved, Padmé spun around to face Luke, her expression softening exponentially at the sight of her son.

"What is it, Luke?" she asked.

"I know you're angry, but you should come see this," he said.

Intrigued, Padmé stood up and followed Luke down the hallway towards the living room. There she saw that everyone was seated facing the holoprojector on the mantle, with Vader being the only one standing at the edge of the room to Jobal's right. Perplexed by this curious arrangement. Padmé frowned at her parents.

"Why are you watching this garbage?" she asked. The Holonet was infamous for being the Empire's primary propaganda apparatus.

"Shh!" Sola said urgently, taking her eyes off the broadcast only briefly. "Listen!"

Confused, Padmé turned her head to look at the holoprojector where she saw a reporter sitting behind a desk, a picture of Vader presented to her right. Stiffly, the reporter began reading a statement.

"_The Emperor has announced today that Darth Vader, the former head commander in the war against the Rebels, has betrayed the Empire and is wanted for high treason. Vader is accused of sabotaging the Death Star and providing top secret intel on the station's plans to the Rebellion. Vader is considered to be extremely dangerous, so the Emperor has called for a Galaxy-wide manhunt to apprehend this traitor. In a statement, the Emperor commented that he felt 'personally betrayed' by Vader's mutiny, yet insisted that he would 'stop at nothing to vindicate those who died on the Death Star.' The Emperor assured reporters that Vader would be unable to escape the reach of the Empire." _

The feed turned off abruptly. Shocked, Padmé turned to Vader who was holding the remote. He didn't look as if he was afraid unlike herself. Rather, he was looking back at Padmé with a determined expression. "Do you see now?" he asked. "Luke and Leia must be trained."

Too stunned to respond, Padmé held her hand to her mouth as she absorbed this information. It seemed like the Emperor had decided to cut his losses with Vader. Did that mean that he knew what had happened? Did he know that Vader had chosen his family over power?

"We have to leave Naboo as soon as possible," Leia said, looking similarly determined as Vader. "The Emperor might suspect that you'd come here."

"I agree," Vader said. "We should leave for Theed within the hour."

"But what about you?" Padmé asked her parents, suddenly realizing that they too could be in terrible danger now.

"Sidious doesn't know about you, Padmé," Vader said reassuringly. "Your family won't be in any danger."

"How do you know that?" Padmé asked in a high voice. "He must know something otherwise he wouldn't have denounced you as a traitor!"

Vader hesitated as he considered this point. "They'll be fine," he said after a moment's deliberation, although he sounded somewhat less confident than before. "There's no way anybody could know about you."

Unconvinced, Padmé turned to her parents with wide eyes. "Don't worry about us," Ruwee said in a rare moment of solidarity with Vader. "You need to leave now."

Vader raised an eyebrow and turned to Ruwee who was still seated on the couch next to Jobal. "You're not going to try and convince her to stay?" he asked. "Surely she'll be safer here with you than with me."

Padmé opened her mouth to refute this, but Ruwee spoke before she was able to say anything. "You know I don't like you," he said, slowly rising from the couch so that he could be at eye level with Vader. "I know you don't like me. But I know that you will do anything to keep my daughter and my grandchildren safe. Besides, she wouldn't let you leave without her anyway."

Vader and Ruwee stared at each other silently for a few moments as everyone else held their breath. Finally, Ruwee reached out and offered his hand to Vader. Eyes widening, Vader seemed too shocked to reciprocate the gesture for a brief moment. Overcoming his momentary paralysis, Vader reached out and shook Ruwee's hand.

"Promise me you will do anything in your power to keep them safe," Ruwee said to Vader in a low voice, their hands still clasped tightly.

"I promise, sir," Vader replied without hesitation. "On my life, I promise it."


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

About an hour later, Padmé, Vader, and the twins left the Naberrie's home. Vader watched silently in the hallway as Padmé gave tearful goodbyes to her sister and parents whom she didn't know if she would ever get to see again. In an effort to expedite their departure, Vader simply levitated all of their luggage and packed it into the speeder. Donning a long set of black robes, Vader obscured his face with a heavy hood and sat in the back beside Padmé who was similarly dressed in order to hide her identity.

They had no issue getting back into the city. Deciding that it was too risky to attempt to return the speeder, they left it in behind at the gates of the Theed spaceport. Glancing about surreptitiously, Luke and Leia led their hooded parents towards the Millennium Falcon. Vader was pleasantly surprised when they reached the distinctive freighter without any incident.

Once inside the Falcon, Vader and Padmé both took off their oppressive disguises with a collective sigh of relief. Han dutifully took their robes, although he was still slightly nervous around Vader, and left to hang them up. Following Han deeper into the ship, the four reached the main hold where Obi-Wan was waiting for them.

"Did anyone see you?" he asked at once, sitting up from his seat.

"No," Vader said. "It was smooth sailing."

"Are you sure?" Obi-Wan asked nervously, tapping his fingers together.

"Stop worrying, old man," Vader said dismissively. "We're fine."

Han reemerged from the hallway, a concerned expression on his face. "Where are we going?" he asked. "I'd rather not stay here any longer than I have to."

Vader glanced to Padmé. They hadn't discussed where they would go, having been too distracted with getting into Theed safely. They'd have to go somewhere where the Empire couldn't find them easily. Somewhere in the Outer Rim probably, but where?

"I'll tell you where we're going in the cockpit," Obi-Wan said. "Let's go."

"Wait just a minute," Vader growled, grabbing Obi-Wan's arm as he tried to scurry past him towards the hallway. "What are you trying to pull here?"

"What do you mean?" Obi-Wan asked, squirming in a fruitless attempt to free himself from Vader's ironclad grip.

"Where are you taking us?" Vader asked, pulling Obi-Wan toward him.

"Do you not trust me?" Obi-Wan said innocently.

"No, not at all," Vader said.

"We trust you, Obi-Wan," Padmé said, stepping forward and placing a hand on Vader's arm. "Let him go, Anakin. We have to go now."

"Don't you want to know where he's taking us?" Vader asked, tightening his grip on Obi-Wan's arm. Obi-Wan glanced at Padmé, grimacing slightly due to the pressure on his arm.

"I have no mal-intent," Obi-Wan said. "Where we are going will be safe, but I suspect Anakin may not agree to go if I tell him."

"Where are we going!" Vader asked angrily.

"Somewhere safe," Obi-Wan said, his eyes wide with fear.

"Dad, we have to go now!" he heard Luke say from behind him. "I trust Ben."

"I agree," Leia added. "We need to trust Obi-Wan."

Frustrated, Vader pushed Obi-Wan away from him forcefully. "Fine," he said irritably. "But I'm watching you, Obi-Wan. One wrong move and I will kill you."

"Anakin!" Padmé exclaimed, shocked by this severe statement.

"I mean it," Vader said, turning to her. "If he does anything to jeopardize you or the twins' safety I will destroy him."

Rubbing his arm, Obi-Wan scowled at Vader. "I will do nothing of the sort," he said bitterly.

"We've got to go now," Han said urgently from the hallway.

"Yes, I'm coming," Obi-Wan said, tearing his eyes away from Vader and rushing out of the main hold toward the cockpit. Watching him depart, Vader crossed his arms and frowned. What was Obi-Wan up to?

"Trust him, Ani," Padmé whispered to him gently. Closing his eyes, Vader felt his frustrations ebb away as he relished in Padmé's warm touch on his arm. "You need to learn to trust him again."

"Why is that?" Vader asked.

"Because he was your best friend," Padmé said, looking up at him with pleading eyes. "It's time for you to be Anakin again."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Vader asked indignantly.

"Don't you see?" Padmé said, moving her hand north towards his shoulder. "Vader is gone now. Sidious disposed of him."

Frowning, Vader looked away from Padmé and saw Luke and Leia watching them from across the room. "That doesn't mean I have to trust Obi-Wan," he said stubbornly.

"Yes, it does!" Padmé said passionately, placing her other hand on his cheek and forcing his head back towards her. "If you're going to be Anakin again you have to trust his best friend."

"I'm never going to be that boy again, Padmé," Vader said. "Surely you must know that."

"You don't have to be," Padmé said, gently stroking his short hair. "But you should try for my sake."

Vader hesitated, biting back the retort he had ready. Gazing into Padmé's brown eyes, Vader felt his resolve melt away. What was this miraculous power she possessed over him? It was no doubt stronger than anything Sidious or the Jedi had ever taught him.

"I'll do anything for you, Padmé," he said softly, suddenly wishing that the twins weren't so close by. "I'll try my best for you."

Padmé smiled at him, a twinkle in her eye confirming to him that she too would have preferred for them to be alone in this instance. Clearly uncomfortable with this level of intimacy, Vader heard Leia clear her throat.

"Let's go to the cockpit, Luke," she said.

"What? Why?" Luke asked, as usual oblivious to the nuance of the situation.

Rolling her eyes, Leia grabbed Luke's arm and dragged him out of the main hold. Looking up to watch them go, Vader smiled wryly. Sighing deeply, he looked back down to Padmé who was pressed against his chest. "I hope I'm not a terrible disappointment to you," he said to her.

"What do you mean?" Padmé asked, perplexed by this change in tone.

"I'm never going to be able to be the man you married," Vader said sadly. "He's long gone."

"I know that, Anakin," Padmé said gently. "That's as much my fault as it is yours."

"Don't say that," Vader said with a frown. "None of this is your fault."

"I shouldn't have left you," she said with a somber expression. "I should have tried to help you."

"You had every right to abandon me," Vader insisted.

"That doesn't mean I should have," Padmé countered. "I was just so afraid of what you'd become."

Vader sighed again, not wanting to discuss the past for any longer. How he longed to stay here forever, with Padmé's body pressed against his. The world outside of her embrace was so cold and lonely. Pulling her closer, Vader rested his chin on the top of Padmé's head. Rocking slowly, the two reminisced silently about what could have been and tried not to think about what was yet to come.

A little while later, Obi-Wan returned to the main hold. He stopped abruptly, however, when he saw Vader and Padmé hugging each other in the middle of the room. Slowly, he took a step backward, not wanting to interrupt them. "You may stay," Vader said, following Obi-Wan's moves without having to look at him. "I would very much like to talk with you."

Freezing, Obi-Wan hesitated for a moment before taking a step back into the room. "Is everything… alright?" he asked, still perplexed as to what was going on.

"As much as it can be," Vader said with a hint of weariness. Reluctantly, he separated himself from Padmé's embrace and turned to face his former Master.

"We've entered hyperspace," Obi-Wan informed him as Padmé walked towards the bench by the hologram table and sat down.

"Do you care to tell me where we're going now?" Vader asked with a hint of bitterness.

"Well…" Obi-Wan said, clearly not wanting to divulge that information yet.

"Just tell him, Obi-Wan," Padmé said exasperatedly. "He's going to ask for the rest of the trip if you don't."

"Besides, it's not as if I can change our destination now," Vader added.

Obi-Wan pursed his lips, considering their arguments. "Fine, I'll tell you," he said begrudgingly. "But promise me you won't…"

"Won't what?" Vader asked when Obi-Wan trailed off.

"I don't know, choke me or something. I've heard you've developed quite the penchant for that."

Vader winced, wishing that Obi-Wan would cease talking about his less savory habits in Padmé's presence. "I'm not going to hurt you, Obi-Wan," he said. _Although I'd very much like to, _he thought to himself silently, refusing to verbalize this sentiment for Padmé's sake.

"Good," Obi-Wan said, looking somewhat relieved. "We're going to Ahch-To."

Vader raised an eyebrow. "Is that place even real?" he asked.

"What do you mean? Why wouldn't it be real?" Padmé asked.

"It's supposedly the location of the first Jedi Temple," Vader explained. "I always thought it was more of a myth than a real place."

"I did as well," Obi-Wan said. "But I assure you, it is real."

"And you know this how?" Vader asked skeptically.

"Master Qui-Gon told me," he said matter-of-factly.

Vader rolled his eyes. "Now you've truly lost it," he said.

Obi-Wan shrugged, clearly not caring that Vader considered him a senile old fool. "It's the truth," he said simply.

"Well I'll believe it when I see it," Vader said dismissively. Crossing the room, he leaned casually against the hologram table and crossed his arms in front of his chest. "I assume the twins told you that I intend to train them," he said, scrutinizing Obi-Wan's face for his reaction.

"They did," he replied neutrally. "Luke was quite excited."

"He would be," Padmé said bitterly.

"I take it you are not supportive of this proposition?" Obi-Wan asked her diplomatically.

"No," Padmé replied. "Although I know there's no other choice."

"It must be done," Vader said, glancing at Padmé before returning his gaze to Obi-Wan. "They need to be able to defend themselves."

"Is that all?" Obi-Wan asked.

"What do you mean?" Vader asked with a frown.

"Do you not seek to overthrow the Emperor with their assistance?"

Vexed, Vader pushed away from the hologram table and crossed the room. "I don't want to put them in danger," he said with his back to Obi-Wan.

"Yet he won't face him alone," Padmé said to Obi-Wan.

"I can't!" Vader said irritably, spinning around to face them.

"Why not?" Padmé asked once again. Clenching his fists, Vader took a deep breath before responding. He understood why Padmé was frustrated with him, but he knew that he couldn't take Sidious on alone. He could say now that he despised him, but he had no idea how he would act when he was face to face with his Master. Sidious had always known how to manipulate him.

"I just can't," Vader said lamely, slouching slightly. "I'm afraid of what might happen."

"But you're stronger than him, Anakin," Obi-Wan said, misinterpreting Vader's statement. "You're the most powerful Force wielder in the Galaxy."

"Physically, perhaps," Vader admitted humbly. "But I have always been weak mentally." Obi-Wan shook his head in disappointment yet didn't say anything. Vader knew it sounded like a weak excuse, but he knew he was right. He would be taking an unnecessary risk if he confronted Sidious alone.

"How do you intend to train them?" Obi-Wan asked, changing tracks.

"I won't train them as Sith if that's what you're worried about," Vader said. "Other than that, I don't know. I was hoping to ask you about that."

"You were?" Obi-Wan asked, surprised.

"You are the only other Force wielder in the Galaxy whom I can trust," Vader said casually.

"You trust me?" Obi-Wan asked, becoming increasingly bewildered.

"Not really," Vader said, backtracking. Glancing at Padmé's pointed look, Vader cleared his throat and gave it another shot. "Well, I trust you more than Sidious," he offered.

"Well that's awfully nice of you," Obi-Wan said sarcastically.

"Whatever," Vader said, irritated by Obi-Wan's sass. "Will you help me train them or not?"

Obi-Wan smiled. "I would be honored," he said.

Nodding, Vader looked away, feeling uncomfortable with the familiar sense of camaraderie developing between them. An awkward moment passed as Vader felt Obi-Wan and Padmé's eyes on him. Unsure of what to say, Vader waited for someone else to speak. Fortunately, Han arrived in the main hold and broke the standoff.

"I'd estimate we'll be there in twelve hours," Han said, leaning against the doorframe with his legs crossed.

"Thank you, Han," Obi-Wan said cordially. Han pursed his lips, looking as if he wanted to say something else.

"What do you want?" Vader asked bluntly.

Han looked up at Vader a bit fearfully. "Well um… I just wanted to know if I was going to be compensated for all this. I know Obi-Wan was going to pay me but this job has been far more than what I signed up for."

Vader nodded once, impressed that this young man was brave enough to ask for compensation from the most notorious man in the Galaxy. "You will be compensated, Solo," Vader said. "Although we will require your services for a little while longer."

Han raised an eyebrow and pushed off from the doorframe, standing upright. "Is that so?" he asked, intrigued.

"I need you to return to the Rebels and inform them that Padmé and the twins are safe and that they do not need to worry about them," Vader instructed. "They cannot know where we are, however, under any circumstances."

If Han was confused by this order, he didn't show it. "Sounds good," he said. "Anything else?"

"Yes. I need you to ask for supplies. I will provide funds if they ask for it. We will need food, accommodations such as furniture and clothing, various construction materials, and most importantly kyber crystals."

"What are kyber crystals?" Han asked.

Vader smirked humorlessly. Taking a few steps towards Han, Vader pulled out his lightsaber. Han's eyes widened in fear as Vader approached. "The kyber crystal is what turns this," he said, pointing the sheathed lightsaber at Han's shoulder. "Into this." Igniting the weapon, the red blade crackled perilously close to Han's face. Frozen with terror, Han looked at the blade out of the corner of his eyes, not daring to move.

"Anakin, stop that!" Obi-Wan said sternly. "You're terrifying the man!"

"I intend to," Vader said, stepping closer to Han so that their faces were barely half a foot apart. "Because if you fail me and reveal my family's whereabouts, you will feel this weapon's wrath. Do I make myself clear?"

Han nodded stiffly, keeping great care to avoid the lightsaber which was just inches away from his ear. "I won't fail you, sir," he said in a strained voice.

"Good," Vader said, extinguishing the blade and returning it to his belt. Turning away from Han, Vader continued relaying his instructions. "After you have acquired these materials, I want you to fly to another planet, it doesn't matter which. They will very likely attempt to track your vessel, so check the outside of your ship for a homing beacon after you land."

"Okay," Han said weakly, still frozen to the spot. "Is that all?"

"I think so," Vader said. "Can you think of anything else?" he asked, turning to Padmé.

"Mothma knows," Padmé said. "She'll figure out that we're with you."

"So what?" Vader asked.

"She won't help Han if she suspects he's operating on your orders," she explained. "She might suspect you've kidnapped me or something like that."

"I see," Vader said, stroking his chin pensively. "What do you suggest?"

Padmé paused, contemplating this question for a moment. "I suppose I could record a message that explains the situation. We can't be sure she'll trust it, however."

"It's worth a shot," Vader said. "You should also delete your flight logs when you get there just in case they try to find out where you flew in from," he added to Han.

"Delete my flight logs?" Han repeated incredulously. Vader turned and gave him a sharp look. "Will do, sir," Han said, bowing his head submissively.

"Excellent," Vader said, smirking slightly at Han's malleable will. "Are Luke and Leia still in the cockpit?" he asked.

"Huh? Oh, yes they are," Han said, momentarily confused by the abrupt conversation shift.

"Could you ask them to accompany me here?" Vader asked. Han nodded and backed out towards the hallway, clearly happy to get out of Vader's sights.

"I figured we could begin training now," Vader explained when he met Obi-Wan's inquisitive look. "We don't have anything else to do."

"I'll go record that message," Padmé said, standing up. "I'll be in the guest room if you need me." Vader followed Padmé with his eyes as she walked across the room and down the hallway. A few moments later, Luke emerged in the main hold.

"Where is your sister?" Vader asked.

"Um… she didn't want to come," Luke said nervously. "She said she doesn't follow your orders."

Vader rolled his eyes and gave an exasperated sigh. "Leia!" he bellowed, knowing that she would be able to hear him from the cockpit. "Get over here now!"

Down the hallway, Vader heard a door open. "Leia, listen to your father!" he heard Padmé's voice call out, followed by heavy, angry footsteps. Seconds later, Leia appeared in the doorway, her hands on her hips.

"What?" she asked irritably, giving Luke a dirty look which caused him to shy away from her in fright.

Vader crossed his arms, his brow furrowed as he contemplated his rebellious daughter. "If I am going to train you, I would appreciate some semblance of civility and respect between us," he said sternly.

"I'll respect you when you've earned it," Leia said provocatively.

Vader felt a curious mixture of indignation and amusement. While he was no doubt irritated that Leia was being so pugnacious with him, he couldn't help but admire her tenacity. "Is that so?" Vader asked with a half-smile. "And how, may I ask, will I be able to earn the respect of a Princess?"

"By killing the Emperor," she said immediately, her eyes narrowed.

Caught off guard by this, Vader didn't respond for a few moments. His amusement faded away; indignation transforming into genuine anger. "I can't do that," he said in a low voice. "We've been over this."

"Even when he's threatening your family?" Leia asked.

"I will keep you safe!" Vader bellowed.

"We won't be safe as long as he's alive!" Leia retorted, raising her voice as well. "Why can't you understand that?"

"She's right, Anakin," Obi-Wan said, taking a bold step forward. "Do you intend on living in hiding for the rest of your life?"

Vader hesitated, having not considered the distant future at all until this point. What was his plan? All he really wanted was to live out the rest of his days with Padmé. Was that too much to ask? But Sidious had made this dream impossible, or at least excruciatingly difficult. Nevertheless, Vader didn't trust himself enough to face him.

"I don't know what I'm going to do," Vader said as he rubbed his forehead wearily. "But I can't face him."

"Then I'll do it," Leia said confidently. "Train me to kill the Emperor."

"No!" Vader exclaimed quickly. "You don't understand how powerful he is."

"But you said Luke and I were the most powerful Force wielders in the Galaxy after yourself," Leia said. "Why wouldn't we be able to take him down?"

"Your father is right," Obi-Wan said. "You may have raw power, but you haven't had a day of training. It would take decades before you were ready to take on the Emperor and even still you would be at a severe disadvantage."

"Then why don't you do it!" Leia said to Vader angrily. "You're supposed to be the Chosen One, are you not?"

"Don't call me that!" Vader growled, flinching inadvertently at the name. "I've always hated being called that."

"If you're not going to oppose the Emperor, then I have no business here," Leia said definitively. "I have no desire to be trained by a coward."

"You don't have a choice," Vader said, pointing a finger at her. "You have to be trained to defend yourself."

"I have a choice!" Leia retorted indignantly. "You don't own me!"

Frustrated beyond measure, Vader dug his fingernails into his temples and screamed internally. Why did she have to be so difficult? Luckily for him, however, Obi-Wan came to Vader's defense.

"Leia, I understand your sentiment, but you need to put your differences with your father aside for now," he said with the finesse of a seasoned diplomat. "It is of paramount importance that you receive this training."

"What's the point if we're never going to use our powers for good?" Leia shot back.

Obi-Wan glanced at Vader, a thoughtful look on his face. "Do you mind if I have a word with Leia in private?" he asked suddenly.

Confused, Vader raised an eyebrow. What did he want to say to her and why couldn't Vader be privy to it? This was all very suspicious. Yet Padmé's voice rang in his ears as he opened his mouth to protest. _Trust him, Ani._ _You need to learn to trust him again._

"Very well," Vader said finally. "I'll begin with Luke in the meantime."

"Thank you," Obi-Wan said, pressing his hands together in front of him. Turning around, he and Leia walked out of the room together. Leia glanced back at Luke with a perplexed expression before she left.

Vader watched them leave, his suspicions far from abated. Obi-Wan clearly wanted Leia to receive training, but he didn't want to explain why around Vader. Was he planning on using her to defeat him? After all, Obi-Wan was far too weak to take on Vader by himself. Perhaps he was playing a long con.

Shaking his head, Vader dispelled these thoughts from his mind. That didn't sound like something Obi-Wan would do. Padmé was right, he needed to stop being so paranoid and trust the old man a bit more.

"Father?" he heard Luke ask.

"Sorry, Luke," Vader said, blinking a few times as he roused himself from his thoughts. "Let us begin with the training."


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Leia followed Obi-Wan out of the main hold and down the hallway. Walking a few steps behind the old Jedi, Leia wondered what it was that he wanted to say to her and why it had to be said in private. Even more perplexing was why Vader had allowed this at all.

Obi-Wan passed the hallway leading to the cockpit and continued on towards the bedrooms. Stopping in front of the guest room, Obi-Wan glanced behind Leia before knocking on the door.

"Come in," she heard her mother's distinctive voice say from behind the door. Pushing the door open, Obi-Wan stepped aside and beckoned Leia in. Not letting her confusion show, Leia stepped into the guest room.

"Oh," Padmé said, clearly having expected someone else. "What's going on, Obi-Wan?" she asked when Obi-Wan entered the room and closed the door behind him.

"Sorry to disturb you, Padmé," Obi-Wan said quietly. "But we need to have a talk with Leia."

"What did she do now?" Padmé asked exasperatedly.

Leia opened her mouth in indignation, but Obi-Wan cut her off. "She's refusing to train as long as Anakin doesn't vow to fight the Emperor."

"I see," Padmé said, pursing her lips and looking at Leia. "And you think I'm going to help you convince her to accept training? Don't you remember that I don't want this in the first place?"

"I know that," Obi-Wan said. "But you want Anakin to be redeemed, do you not?"

"Of course, but –"

"Then listen to what I have to say," Obi-Wan interrupted. "Both of you," he added, glancing at Leia. Padmé and Leia said nothing, waiting for Obi-Wan to elaborate. "As you may have gleaned, I am taking us to Ahch-To for a reason. I believe that it is there where I will be able to convince him to fulfill his destiny and destroy the Emperor. In the meantime, I need Leia to stop condemning him for not taking action and accept his training."

"What's on Ahch-To that you're not telling as about?" Padmé asked suspiciously.

"I'm afraid I can't tell you that quite yet," Obi-Wan said. "I need this to be a surprise and while I do trust you, Padmé, I cannot divulge this secret just yet."

Padmé glanced at Leia with a skeptical look. Leia could see that she too seemed unsatisfied with this explanation. "Okay, Obi-Wan," she said, returning her gaze to the Jedi. "I'll trust you for now."

"Thank you," Obi-Wan said with a little bow of his head. "And you, Leia?' Will you do me this favor and cooperate with your father for now?"

Leia considered this for a moment. She didn't know Obi-Wan like her mother did and consequently she had no real reason to trust him. Then again, it wasn't as if she had many other alternatives. Her approach of browbeating Vader into doing her will was undeniably not a particularly effective strategy.

"I will on one condition," she said, causing Obi-Wan to raise his eyebrows.

"What is that?" he asked.

"That if you fail to turn Vader, you will help me kill the Emperor instead."

Obi-Wan stroked his beard absently as he considered this proposition silently. Padmé looked as if she wanted to object, but she too said nothing, waiting for Obi-Wan's response. "Very well," he said finally. "Although I doubt it will come to that."

"You will do no such thing!" Padmé said in an angry whisper, stepping in front of Leia defensively. "She doesn't stand a chance against Sidious and you know that."

"Again, I don't think it will come to this –"

"It won't," Padmé said, poking Obi-Wan forcefully in the chest with her index finder. "Do you know why?" Obi-Wan said nothing, retreating fearfully from Padmé's livid expression. "He'll kill you if you try to use Leia for this, and I won't stop him!"

"Padmé –"

"You're not going to use either of my children as pawns, Obi-Wan! Do you hear me?" Padmé interrupted.

Obi-Wan glanced behind Padmé at Leia who was watching this tirade with a mixture of awe and indignation. "I do," Obi-Wan said weakly. "But this is Leia's decision, not mine."

Padmé narrowed her eyes at Obi-Wan, clearly disagreeing with this sentiment. "Please leave," she said eventually, pointing to the door. "I would like to speak to Leia alone."

Looking visibly relieved to get away from Padmé, Obi-Wan backed out of the room without objection. When the door closed behind him, Padmé spun towards Leia, her expression still intense.

"You can't control me, Mom," Leia said defiantly, preparing herself for a confrontation.

Instead of retorting, however, Padmé sighed and walked over to the bed. Sitting down, Padmé patted the side of the bed next to her. "Please sit down, Leia," she said in a tired voice.

Bewildered, Leia sat down next to her mother with a concerned expression. "Are you alright?" she asked.

"I have the weight of the Galaxy on my shoulders, can't you see that?" Padmé said morosely. "I would really appreciate it if you were on my side for all this."

"I am on your side, but –"

"Then stop attacking your father!" Padmé interrupted.

Leia closed her mouth and bit her tongue in irritation. How could she just pretend like she was totally fine with having a mass murderer as a father? Why couldn't her mother understand why she couldn't simply accept him?

"I have made so much progress over the past week," Padmé said, turning away from Leia and staring sightlessly towards the desk next to the bed. "This time last week, I had thought your father was lost forever, consumed by Vader. Now he has committed to abandoning the Empire and returning to my side."

"But he won't oppose it!" Leia exclaimed. "He's too afraid to do anything!"

"I know he is," Padmé said softly. "But it's not because he's a coward, Leia. You don't understand how damaged he is."

"I know how much damage he's caused to others," Leia said bitterly. "He has a responsibility to undo all of the evil he has helped promulgate."

"Perhaps he does," Padmé conceded. "But you're not going to convince him of that by bullying him into submission."

"And what if he never turns?" Leia asked. "What then? Are you going to let the Emperor win?"

Padmé turned to look at Leia. "I'm not going to lose you, Leia," she said, reaching out and placing a hand on the side of Leia's face. "This isn't a fight you can win by yourself."

_We'll see about that, _Leia thought to herself.

* * *

When Leia returned to the main hold she was presented with an odd sight. Vader and Luke were seated facing each other on the ground, their legs crossed and eyes closed. Obi-Wan stood on the opposite wall, watching the two curiously. Leia opened her mouth to ask what was going on, but Obi-Wan put a finger to his lips to silence her.

Luke suddenly inhaled sharply and looked up, his eyes still closed. Vader opened his eyes and watched Luke intently. "What do you sense?" he asked in a whisper.

Luke's forehead creased in concentration, his eyes shut tightly. "I… I'm not sure," he said.

"Stop trying so hard," Obi-Wan said from across the room. "Let go and let the Force guide you." Nodding, Luke took a deep breath and sat fully upright. "Now, tell me what you sense," Obi-Wan said.

Luke remained silent for a long while as Leia stood silently in the doorframe watching him. "I feel… anger," he said finally.

"What else?" Vader probed.

"Love," Luke said with increasing confidence. "An intense love."

Vader raised an eyebrow and glanced upward at Leia briefly before returning his gaze to Luke. "Are you sure?" he asked skeptically.

"Absolutely," Luke said. "I've never felt emotions as clear as this."

Vader looked around at Obi-Wan who was predictably stroking his beard pensively. "Very interesting," Obi-Wan said. "I believe this is enough for now."

Luke opened his eyes and blinked a few times as he readjusted to his surroundings. "That was incredible," he said, his eyes shining. "I've never experienced anything like that before."

"The Force is the medium through which all emotions and feelings traverse," Obi-Wan said. "It can be a bit overwhelming for your first time, especially given your incredible raw powers."

"What was I sensing?" Luke asked. "It wasn't my own emotions, that's for sure."

"No, they were not," Vader said, looking beyond Luke. Following Vader's eyes, Luke turned around to see Leia standing in the doorway.

"Leia," he said, realization dawning on his face.

"Wait a minute," Leia said, only now understanding what was going on. "I'm not feeling… those things," she said awkwardly.

"One cannot hide their pure emotions from the Force. Not without considerable training, that is," Obi-Wan said. "Although I must say, it is quite remarkable that Luke was able to decipher your feelings with such specificity on his first attempt."

"They are intrinsically connected, Obi-Wan," Vader said. "Do you not sense that?"

"No," Obi-Wan said honestly. "Although I don't doubt you."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Leia asked, feeling her face grow red at the thought of Luke reading her deepest and most secretive emotions.

"Your Force signatures are intertwined," Vader explained matter-of-factly. Leia's blank stare prompted him to elaborate further. "It means that you and Luke share an extremely close bond through the Force, so strong in fact that I suspect it is unique in the history of the Galaxy."

Leia looked at Luke with a bewildered expression. "Why would that be?" she asked.

"This is all speculation, but I believe that this is the result of two factors," Vader explained. "One, you are both my children, which means that you are extremely powerful as it is. Second, the fact that you are twins no doubt means that your Force signatures were at one point practically indistinguishable."

"We have never seen such a powerful connection between two Force sensitives in large part due to the insistence that Jedi never form attachments," Obi-Wan commented. "You two may be able to access powers never before documented by the Jedi Order."

"Wow," Luke said, turning back around to look at Vader. "That's incredible."

"That's one word for it," Leia said snidely.

"Do you have to be so negative about everything?" Vader asked exasperatedly.

"I don't appreciate having my mind read like that," Leia said, crossing her arms in front of her.

"Perhaps you would like to try?" Vader offered, gesturing to where Luke was seated.

"I don't want to invade Luke's privacy," she said, looking for an excuse.

"I don't want you to," Vader said. "I want you to invade mine."

Leia raised an eyebrow as she considered this prospect. "Okay," she said, stepping forward into the room. "Let's do it." Luke jumped up and joined Obi-Wan on the other side of the room. Settling herself down on the floor in front of Vader, Leia felt a nervous sense of anticipation.

"Take a deep breath," Vader said, his eyes never deviating from her face. "When you're ready, I want you to close your eyes."

Pushing aside her cynicism, Leia inhaled deeply and closed her eyes. "Good," she heard Vader's calm voice say to her. "Now try to block out your physical surroundings. Ingratiate yourself with the energy which envelops you."

Leia scoffed internally, feeling silly as she tried to do as Vader asked. "Your cynicism blinds you," Vader said, clearly sensing her skepticism. "Let go of your sense of being; dissociate yourself from your body and allow yourself to float freely amongst the Force."

Concentrating harder, Leia took another deep breath and attempted to do as Vader asked. Relinquishing her doubts, Leia allowed herself to let go. For a long time, nothing seemed to happen. Nevertheless, Leia persisted and didn't allow herself to give up.

"What do you feel?" Vader asked, his voice echoing slightly as if the two of them were alone in a large chamber.

"I don't feel anything," Leia said, feeling frustrated.

"Embrace the nothingness," Vader said in a soothing voice. "Now try again. Tell me what you sense."

Redoubling her efforts, Leia concentrated on her metaphysical surroundings. "There's a kind of… buzzing, I guess," Leia said after a long while.

"Very good, focus on that," Vader said. "Can you describe it further?"

"It seems… fluid," Leia said, struggling to find the right adjective for what she was feeling.

"How so?" Vader asked.

"It's in constant motion," Leia said, gaining confidence in herself. "It's like an ocean."

"Indeed," Vader said, an unmistakable hint of pride in his voice. "Let yourself float amidst the waves for a few moments. Appreciate the vastness of the Force."

Feeling uncommonly tranquil, Leia sighed as she ingratiated herself with the soothing nature of the Force. Tendrils of energy seemed to caress her consciousness. It was a bizarre yet somehow intensely familiar sensation.

"I want you to concentrate on my voice now," Vader said. "Differentiate my presence from the rest of the noise."

Focusing on Vader's voice, Leia found it was much easier than she expected to isolate her father's presence. The Force seemed to part, revealing Vader to her.

"Tell me what you sense," Vader said.

What did she sense? At first it seemed indescribable, yet as she concentrated harder the obscurity began to fade. "I feel… cold," she said finally. Vader said nothing, waiting for her to continue. "And fear. I feel dread and suffering."

"Very good," Vader said. "What else?"

"That's all," Leia said, wanting to retreat from Vader's depressing Force presence.

"Look deeper," Vader said.

Resisting the urge to recoil, Leia persisted into Vader's force presence until she felt as if she was entirely surrounded by it. Dread, fear, and pain swirled around her viciously. Yet there was something else. Something warmer. Something… beautiful.

"What do you feel?" Vader asked.

"I… I don't know what this is," Leia said honestly.

"I think you do," Vader countered. "You're just not willing to accept it."

Leia tore her eyes open, Vader's presence retreating from her with a jolt. Feeling dizzy, Leia put out a hand to steady herself as she acclimated to her physical surroundings. In front of her, she heard Vader sigh. "You did very well," he said, although he sounded disappointed. "Exceptionally well for your first time."

Rubbing her forehead, Leia squinted as her eyes adjusted to the bright lights in the main hold.

"You retreated," Vader said "Why?"

Leia glanced up at Luke and Obi-Wan who were watching her curiously from across the room. "I don't know," Leia said, unsure of what to say. "It was just… so intense."

"And that made you afraid?" Vader asked.

"I guess," Leia said, uncomfortable with this level of scrutiny.

"What are you getting at, Anakin?" Obi-Wan asked. "She did remarkably well for her first attempt."

"But she refuses to acknowledge what was right in front of her," Vader said, irritation seeping into his voice for the first time.

"I don't know what I felt!" Leia exclaimed, her indignation rising.

"That's only because you didn't want to find it," Vader said in a low voice.

"That's not true!" Leia retorted, genuinely confused about what Vader was accusing her of. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Vader stared back at her with narrowed eyes as he scrutinized her face. Uncomfortable, Leia looked down at her knees. "I think that's enough for today," she heard Obi-Wan say after a tense silence.

Vader didn't say anything for a moment, clearly still frustrated about something. "Very well," he said finally, a hint of weariness in his voice. "I need to lie down, anyway." Standing up and towering over her, Vader looked down at Leia one last time with a curious and paradoxical mixture of disappointment and pride. Unable to meet his gaze, Leia looked down again as Vader walked past her and out of the main hold.

Struggling to her own feet, Leia's knees felt somewhat shaky as if she had been seated for much longer than she had been. "You should sit down," Luke said, crossing the room towards her. "It's pretty draining."

Nodding her head, Leia wrapped her arm around Luke's shoulder for stability. Slowly walking over to the bench by the hologram table, Leia collapsed down with a thud. Breathing heavily, she looked up at Luke who looked a bit concerned.

"Are you okay?" he asked, kneeling beside her.

Leia nodded again. "Just tired, that's all," she said, closing her eyes for a moment.

Obi-Wan crossed the room and looked down the hallway. "What did you see?" he asked in an urgent whisper, still looking down the hallway.

"I told you, I don't know," Leia said, feeling overwhelmed with the questioning.

Obi-Wan turned away from the hallway and approached. "Leia, this is of the utmost importance," he said. "He had closed himself off entirely until this point. He let you into his innermost thoughts and emotions. I need to know what you saw."

Leia rubbed her temples as she searched for the right words. "It's hard to describe," she said, choosing to look at Luke rather than at Obi-Wan's intense gaze. "At first all I felt was fear, like I said."

"Fear of what?" Obi-Wan asked.

"I don't know, just fear," Leia replied.

Obi-Wan shook his head vigorously. "You misunderstand me," he said in a hushed voice. "The fear was peripheral to what he wanted to show you."

"What do you mean, Ben?" Luke asked, equally confused as Leia.

Obi-Wan took a deep breath before trying again. "Perhaps I'm not being clear," he said. "What did you feel after?"

Leia rubbed her eyes tiredly, desperately trying to remember exactly what she had felt. "It was overwhelming," she said. "I was afraid of it, to be honest."

"Go on," Obi-Wan said.

"It was… bright, I guess," she continued.

"How so?" Obi-Wan asked.

"It was just so intense," Leia said, feeling unconfident in herself. "I'm sorry, I just don't know what you want from me."

"That's alright, Leia," Obi-Wan said in what might have been an attempt at a reassuring voice, but his obvious disappointment dulled the effect. "I'm asking a lot of you for your first venture into the Force."

"I think it was love," Luke said softly. "That's what he wanted to show you."

Leia scoffed at him. "You keep telling yourself that, Luke," she said dismissively. "He doesn't understand love."

"And you do?" Luke asked with a frown.

"More than he does," Leia shot back.

"How can you say that?" Luke asked angrily, standing up and turning away from her. "He loves our mother more than anything!"

"It's not love, Luke," Leia said. "It's addiction."

"You're wrong!" Luke said loudly. "He loves her and he loves us. You're just too stubborn to see it."

"And you're too delusional to see who he really is!" Leia retorted.

Waving his hand, Luke spun around and marched out of the main hold. "Luke, come back!" Leia called after him, but he ignored her. Feeling dejected, Leia sagged down and held her head in her hands on the table in front of her. Obi-Wan meanwhile was still standing in the middle of the room looking as if he hadn't noticed this heated confrontation.

"You should get some rest," he said in a distant voice.

Sighing, Leia nodded and said nothing, feeling overwhelmingly tired all of a sudden. Lying her head down on the cool surface of the hologram table, she heard Obi-Wan shuffle out of the room and after Luke.

* * *

Vader woke up to the sensation of a soft touch on his cheek. Without opening his eyes, Vader smiled and rolled over. "Padmé," he mumbled sleepily.

"You've got to wake up, Ani," came his wife's voice somewhere above him. Opening his eyes a fraction, Vader saw Padmé leaning over him, a tendril of her hair tickling his chin.

"Or you could join me," he proposed blithely, reaching out with both of his arms to try and grab Padmé's waist.

"Anakin!" Padmé whispered urgently, evading his reach easily. "Leia's here."

Opening his eyes fully with a start, Vader saw Leia watching him awkwardly from the corner of the guest room.

"Oh," he said, sitting upright quickly and pulling the covers over his bare chest. "What are you doing here?" he asked.

"I just came to tell Mom that we'd landed," Leia said uncomfortably. "I didn't know you were here too."

"Thank you, Leia," Padmé said. "Why don't you let your father get dressed?"

"Erm… okay," Leia said, backing out of the room quickly and closing the door behind her.

With a laugh, Vader pushed the sheets off himself and jumped out of the bed. Unable to contain himself, Vader grabbed Padmé and pulled her toward him before she could react. "Anakin!" she exclaimed. "What are you doing?"

Vader didn't respond and instead pulled her closer and tried to kiss her neck. Squirming away from him, Padmé pushed him back down on to the bed. Placing her hands on her hips, she looked down at his grinning face with a frown. "You're insatiable," she said, shaking her head. "Get dressed now. I'm not asking."

"Yes, my lady," Vader said with a broad smile.

Rolling her eyes, Padmé spun around on her heel and left the room, slamming the door behind her. With a contented sigh, Vader lay on the bed for a few moments before getting up. Putting on his undershirt and donning his robes quickly, Vader stepped out into the hallway. With a yawn, he turned right and walked down towards the exit. Descending the lift gate, Vader squinted as he was presented with the dazzling afternoon light of Ahch-To's suns.

"Look who's finally here," Obi-Wan said, turning around to see Vader standing at the foot of the Millennium Falcon.

"Where's the temple?" Vader asked, looking up the cliffs expecting to see some kind of grandiose structure at the top.

"I'm not sure," Obi-Wan said. "Luke and Han volunteered to go ahead to see if they could find anything."

"Are you sure this is the right place?" Vader asked skeptically.

"Can you not feel it?" Obi-Wan asked, turning away from Vader and craning his head to look at the cliffs. "This place is old. Very old."

Vader stroked his beard much like Obi-Wan often did. His old master was indeed correct, Vader realized. The Force was very strong in this place.

From behind him, Vader heard two sets of footsteps descending the ramp. Turning around, he saw Padmé and Leia approaching him, their hair done up in practical buns. "Shall we get going?" he asked Padmé with a smile.

"Where to?" she asked.

"Onwards, of course," he replied, gesturing to the thin, winding trail leading up the cliffs. Wordlessly, Leia and Padmé followed Vader up the path with Obi-Wan lagging farther behind. It took them nearly fifteen minutes to reach the top of the cliffs. Breathing heavily, Padmé stood by Vader's side as they took in the sight. They were on an island, the fading light from the suns dazzling spectacularly as it clashed with the ocean. The scent of salt dominated the air.

"It looks like a little village," Padmé said beside him.

Looking away from the horizon, Vader followed Padmé's gaze to see a series of stone-cobbled huts. The village seemed deserted, however. Craning his head, Vader followed another stone-laid trail upwards. Something seemed to be calling to him from the very apex of the island…

"Do you feel it? The pull?" Tearing his eyes away from the trail, Vader saw Obi-Wan standing to his left. Nodding, Vader looked back at the cliffs curiously.

"Follow it," Obi-Wan said quietly, barely audible over the billowing wind.

Unquestioningly, Vader stepped forward towards the second trail, leaving Obi-Wan and Padmé behind. Beginning the ascent, Vader felt the chill of the biting wind on his face. Pulling up his hood, Vader nearly ran into Han who was descending the trail.

"Watch yourself, Solo!" Vader exclaimed, wavering perilously on the step before stabilizing himself. "You nearly pushed me down the cliff!"

"Sorry, sir," Han said, sounding out of breath.

"Where is Luke?" Vader asked.

"I was just coming to tell you," Han said, doubling over a bit as he caught his breath. "I told him not to go in there."

"Go in where?" Vader asked.

"In that giant tree thing," Han said, pointing upwards along the trail. "He said it was whispering to him. I told him not to do it, I swear –"

"Where?" Vader asked, cutting Han off.

"It's at the top of the trail," Han said.

Pushing past Han, Vader ran up the trail taking two steps at a time. Yet he wasn't scared for Luke's sake. Instead, he felt excited, as if he had been waiting for this moment his whole life without knowing it. Something, or perhaps someone, was calling to him powerfully, beckoning him up the cliff.

Reaching the top of the trail, Vader paused for a moment as he stared in awe at the massive tree that awaited him. The tree seemed to exude knowledge and sagacity unlike anything he had ever encountered before. Vader stepped forward, his body buzzing with excitement and anticipation. As he approached, he noticed a crack at the base of the tree which he assumed was the entrance. His breathing shallow, Vader had to duck slightly on his way in.

A singular ray of light illuminated the interior of the tree. Walking down the short hallway, Vader came to a small, circular room. Standing in the center of the room was Luke, his head bowed as he investigated something in front of him.

"Luke?" Vader asked tentatively, disquieted that his son hadn't seemed to notice his approach.

"What is this place?" Luke asked, looking upwards to study the low ceiling.

Vader didn't reply, not knowing the answer himself. Stepping forward, Vader saw what it was Luke had been looking at. A collection of ancient-looking books sat atop a nondescript little shelf. Vader took a deep breath, inhaling the scriptures' powerful scent. Reaching out, Vader had nearly touched a volume when a voice spoke from behind him.

"_What use does a Sith have with the Ancient Jedi Texts?" _

Vader froze, his hand suspended a fraction of an inch in front of the texts. He knew that voice. He hadn't heard it in many, many years…

Lowering his arm towards his belt, Vader turned around slowly. "It can't be," he said hoarsely when he had fully turned around.

"_Hello, Anakin," _the ghost of Qui-Gon Jinn said. _"We meet again, at last." _


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Vader was too stunned to speak as he stared back at his very first master. He looked exactly as he remembered him, except he was surrounded by a faint blue aura. Was he some sort of ghost? Or was he a recording somehow?

"I've heard your voice before," Luke said, capitalizing on his father's silence. "You helped me use the Force to destroy the Death Star!"

"_You are very right, Luke" _Qui-Gon said in his deep, soothing voice. _"I have been watching you with great interest." _

"Who are you?" Luke asked.

"_My name is Qui-Gon Jinn," _he said with a slight bow of his head. _"I was a Jedi Master when I was alive. I discovered your father when he was just a boy on Tatooine" _

"How are you here?" Vader asked, regaining his voice.

"_Obi-Wan told you already," _Qui-Gon said calmly. _"Although you didn't choose to believe him." _

"But I don't understand, this can't be possible!" Vader exclaimed.

"_Why is that?" _Qui-Gon asked.

"Because… because… you're dead!" Vader sputtered.

"_Indeed, I am," _Qui-Gon said with a nod. _"There are many aspects of the Force which you are blind to, young Skywalker. The Dark Side has obscured your vision." _

"I became more powerful than any Jedi could have dreamed of," Vader said defensively.

"_At what cost?" _Qui-Gon asked.

Vader looked away, catching a glance of Luke who was still staring back at Qui-Gon intently. "Why are you here?" Vader asked, changing the subject.

"_To fulfill my promise to you," _Qui-Gon said, stepping forward into the light causing him to appear translucent. _"And to repay my debt." _

"You don't owe me anything, Master," Vader said with a frown.

"_I promised to train you, Anakin," _Qui-Gon said. _"I failed you." _

"It's not your fault that you didn't get to train me," Vader said.

"_True, but I was foolish to think that Obi-Wan would have been able to train you adequately," _Qui-Gon retorted. _"I was so afraid that the Council would fail you that I convinced myself to entrust you to my former Padawan. It was a grievous error of judgement." _

Vader agreed with Qui-Gon. Obi-Wan had not been ready to take on a Padawan of his own after Qui-Gon's death. He had never considered how things might have gone differently had Qui-Gon been his master instead…

"_I have returned to amend that mistake," _Qui-Gon continued. _"I wish to train you, Anakin. I want to help you fulfill your destiny as the Chosen One." _

Vader turned away in irritation having long despised that name. "It's too late for that, Master," Vader said bitterly. "Besides, you have nothing to teach me."

"_You are wrong, Anakin," _Qui-Gon said with a faint smile. _"You have much to learn still." _

Vader pursed his lips as he turned back to face Qui-Gon. "To what end?" he asked. "Why do you even want anything to do with me anymore?"

"_You are the Chosen One, Anakin," _Qui-Gon said matter-of-factly.

"I'm not the Chosen One!" Vader bellowed, clenching his fists angrily. "I never have been! That's just what you wanted! How could the Chosen One have turned to the Dark Side? Why would the Chosen One have killed hundreds of people and destroyed the Jedi Order? Why would the Chosen One have pushed away his wife and willingly become the slave of a monster?"

Qui-Gon stared at Vader pensively for a moment, his head tilted slightly as he contemplated Vader's face. _"The Prophecy never specified how the Chosen One would bring balance to the Force," _he said eventually. _"I believe that only through your failures you will understand your greater purpose."_

"I don't want to have a greater purpose!" Vader said exasperatedly.

"_What do you want, Anakin?" _Qui-Gon asked, catching Vader off guard.

"What do I…? I… I don't know," Vader stammered. "Nobody's ever asked me that."

"I know what he wants," Luke said to Qui-Gon. "He wants to be with his family. That's what Mother said. She said all he's ever cared about was family."

"_Is that true, Anakin?" _Qui-Gon asked. _"Is that really all you want?" _

"Is that such a bad thing?" Vader asked defensively.

"_It is a noble aspiration," _Qui-Gon said. _"But is it one you deserve?" _

Vader narrowed his eyes at Qui-Gon, offended by the implicit accusation. "Padmé wants me by her side," he said.

"_She doesn't want _you_ by her side," _Qui-Gon said provocatively. _"She wants Anakin Skywalker by her side." _

"What are you getting at, Master?" Vader asked wearily, feeling as if he had had this conversation countless times before by now.

"_When you were the young boy that I knew, you had no obligation to the Prophecy," _Qui-Gon explained._ "You were the Chosen One, but you had no reason to seek bringing balance to the Force. As a Jedi Padawan and Knight you were constantly told that you would fulfill this destiny, but you never knew why it had to be you or how you would accomplish this feat. This is why you had to become a Sith and succumb to the Dark Side. Only through your failures have you gained a purpose. Only now do you have an obligation to fulfill the prophecy and truly become the Chosen One." _

"I have no obligation!" Vader retorted angrily. "What makes you say that I do?"

"_You have committed horrible crimes, Anakin," _Qui-Gon said somberly. _"You will not be able to live with yourself if these crimes go unatoned. Not even Padmé will be able to save you from your own sense of guilt." _

"Who says I feel guilty?" Vader asked.

"_I do," _Qui-Gon said confidently. _"Do you know why I know that?" _

"Why?" Vader asked.

"_Because you are a good person, Anakin," _Qui-Gon said compassionately. _"A small part of you is still that boy on Tatooine who was so full of empathy and justice." _

"How can you say that?" Vader scoffed. "I'm a terrible person and you know it."

"You're a good person, Father," Luke said passionately. "I can sense it!"

"You're wrong, Luke," Vader said, shying away from his son's boundless empathy.

"_Listen to your son, Anakin," _Qui-Gon said. _"He understands you so well because he is the most objective. Padmé is blinded by her desire to see you restored to your former self, Leia is too stubborn to acknowledge anything positive about you, and Obi-Wan is too cynical to think that you could ever change. Luke and I are the only ones who can see your true nature." _

"Well I think you're both wrong," Vader countered. "You're both hoping I can be a man that I can't possibly be. Luke wants me to be a father for him and you want me to be the Chosen One."

Qui-Gon frowned slightly, clearly disappointed by Vader's attitude. _"Obi-Wan told me it would be difficult to convince you," _he said. _"But I will not give up so easily." _

"Well maybe you should," Vader said bitterly. "I'm not worth the effort." With that, Vader turned to leave the mysterious library.

"_Anakin, wait!" _Qui-Gon said in a booming voice. Vader paused, but didn't turn around to face Qui-Gon.

"What?" he asked irritably.

"_Perhaps you should ask your wife for advice on this matter," _Qui-Gon said. _"I suspect she will want you to accept my training." _

Vader sighed and closed his eyes, vexed that Qui-Gon had managed to exploit his weakness so effectively. "Very well, Master," Vader said. "But don't think this means I am going to be the Chosen One you want me to be."

"_In time you will see," _Qui-Gon said sagely. _"In time you will understand your role in all of this." _

* * *

"Luke!"

Padmé ran and crushed her son in a hug when she saw him descending the trail towards the little stone village, Vader trailing a little farther behind him.

"Don't do that, Luke!" she said as she squeezed him tightly. "You scared me to death!"

"He's fine, Padmé," came Vader's voice.

"Sorry, Mom," Luke said in a muffled voice.

Releasing him, Padmé held Luke by his arms as she investigated him for cuts or bruises. When Han had come down the trail telling her what Luke had done, she had panicked. Obi-Wan of course told her not to worry, but that had done little to calm her down. Satisfied that Luke seemed wholly unharmed, she let him go and put her hands on her hips.

"I don't want you wandering off like that, Luke," she told him. "Not in this place."

"Luke has nothing to fear on this island," Vader said, stepping forward so that he was next to Luke. "And neither do you, Padmé." Looking up at Vader, she could tell that something was amiss. His eyes had lost the luster from earlier that morning. What had happened in that tree?

"Come on inside," came Obi-Wan's voice from behind her. "It looks like it's going to rain."

Looking up at the sky, Padmé saw ominous grey clouds brewing overhead. More than happy to get out of the blistering wind, Padmé took Luke's wrist and dragged him to the nearest stone hut. Entering the hut, Padmé saw that Leia and Han were already inside, sitting on the cool stone floor beside a small fluorescent lantern which provided the only light once the makeshift door was closed.

A soft pattering sound on the domed roof confirmed Obi-Wan's suspicions that rain was approaching. Turning around, she noticed that Vader had not followed them.

"Where is Anakin?" she asked Obi-Wan who had just closed the door behind him.

"He didn't want to join us," he said with a frown.

"But it's pouring rain out there!" Padmé exclaimed. When Obi-Wan merely shrugged, Padmé pushed past him with an exasperated sigh. Wrenching the door open, Padmé stepped outside into the now torrential downpour.

"Anakin!" she called, struggling to see with the gale whipping her hair into her face. "Anakin, where are you?" Padmé's heart missed a beat when she finally saw him. He was standing at the edge of the cliff, lunged slightly with one leg held up on a rock. The wind caused his robes to billow about wildly.

"Anakin, what are you doing?" she cried when she approached him. Turning around, Vader looked surprised to see her.

"Padmé?" he asked. "Why aren't you inside?"

"I came to get you!" she yelled, grabbing his arm and trying to pull him away from the edge of the cliff. "It's dangerous out here!"

"You're soaking wet," Vader commented, stating the obvious.

Padmé rolled her eyes and released him. "Thanks to you," she said snidely.

Pushing his wet hair out of his face, Vader held his other hand above his head casually. Confused, Padmé looked up to see what he was doing. Her face wasn't pelted with rain, however, when she looked up as she had expected.

"That's better," Vader said with a wink.

Padmé's eyes widened as she realized what he had done. Above her and Vader's head the rain was suspended bizarrely, providing them with a singular dry spot amidst the storm. "How did you do that?" she asked in awe.

Vader smirked and looked up. "What, this?" he asked. "Just a little trick my… it's something Sidious taught me."

"Oh," Padmé said, suddenly feeling far less impressed.

Sensing her discomfort, Vader sighed and looked back towards the horizon which was now dominated by grey rainclouds. A crack of thunder somewhere far in the distance followed by a brilliant flash of lightning caused Padmé to spin around as well.

"Let's go inside, Anakin," she said urgently.

"I will in a minute," Vader said, not turning to look at her.

Padmé pursed her lips and looked at him closely. "What happened?" she asked. "What happened in that tree?"

Vader glanced at her for a moment before returning his eyes to the horizon. "Why do you love me, Padmé?" he asked after a brief silence.

Perplexed by this unexpected question, Padmé hesitated for a moment. "What are you talking about?" she asked.

"You heard me," Vader said, finally turning to look at her directly. "Why do you love me?"

"Why are you asking me this?" Padmé asked, concerned by the sad look in Vader's eyes.

"I met Master Qui-Gon," Vader said flatly. "He was waiting for me by the Ancient Jedi Texts."

"Qui-Gon? Ani, what are you talking about?" Padmé asked, becoming increasingly bewildered with each one of Vader's non-sequiturs.

"He said you didn't want me by your side," Vader said, refusing to acknowledge Padmé's utter confusion. "That you wanted Anakin by your side instead."

Padmé blinked a few times and pushed some hair out of her face. "I want Anakin not Vader," she said. "You already know that."

"I don't even know who that is," Vader said morosely. "What about Anakin did you love?"

Padmé faltered, realizing that this may be a very pivotal answer. Should she tell him what she suspected he wanted to hear? That she loved him regardless of what he had done and what he intended to do? To some extent, this would be the more truthful answer, even though she wished it were not. She couldn't help but love him, even as Vader.

But she couldn't tell him that. She needed him to turn against the Emperor. Her love for her children was stronger than her desire to have Anakin back by her side. She would do what she had to in order to prevent them from going into harm's way by confronting the Emperor prematurely.

"I loved you because you were a good person," she said, taking a step forward and cupping his wet cheek in her hand. "Even after you lost your way, I always knew deep down that you were still a good person, Ani. You care deeply for those closest to you and do anything to protect them."

Vader looked down at her silently for a moment, his eyes strangely unfocused and distant. "Very well," he said in a whisper. "I will do what I must."

With that, Vader turned around and marched off back towards the trail. As he left, the rain which had been held suspended above them both plummeted back down, soaking Padmé unceremoniously.

"Ani, where are you going!" she called, sputtering slightly.

Vader looked back around at her, a determined expression on his face. "To become the man you want me to be," he said, his voice barely audible over the roar of wind and the distant clap of thunder. Raising his head high, Vader looked beyond her towards the horizon one last time before turning around and heading off towards the trail.

Padmé watched him climb the steps and finally disappear into the jagged cliffs. Shivering, she wrapped her arms around herself and slogged through the mud to get back to the hut, all the while pondering what had just transpired. Everything Vader had said seemed nonsensical to her. Qui-Gon had spoken to him somehow? And what did he mean by saying he was going to become the man she wanted him to be?

Swinging the door to the hut open, Padmé slipped in as quickly as she could. Shutting the door behind her, she turned around to see that a fire was roaring in the center of the floor.

"Take this, Mom," Luke said, sitting up quickly and offering her his cloak. Accepting it graciously, Padmé wrapped the woolen cloak around her shoulders and sat by the fire, her teeth chattering audibly.

"How did y-you get this going?" she asked, gesturing to the fire.

"Han did it," Leia said, giving Han a begrudging look of approval.

"Where is Anakin?" Obi-Wan asked, he alone standing against the wall.

"He went back up the trail," Padmé said, looking up at Obi-Wan. "He was acting really strange."

"How so?" Obi-Wan asked, his interest piqued.

"He was talking about Qui-Gon as if he had just spoken to him," Padmé said as she rubbed her hands together in front of the fire. She decided to leave out the more intimate bits of their conversation, preferring to keep that information to herself.

"How did he seem?" Obi-Wan asked, evidently unsurprised by the mention of his former master.

"He said something about becoming the man I wanted him to be," Padmé said. "Do you know what that was about, Obi-Wan?"

"He's going to accept Master Qui-Gon's offer," Luke said, causing Padmé to spin her head to look at him.

"What do you mean, Luke?" Padmé asked.

"Master Qui-Gon appeared when Father tried to touch the Jedi Texts," Luke said, his face appearing particularly gaunt in the flickering light of the flames. "He wanted Father to accept his responsibilities as the Chosen One and destroy the Sith."

"And he refused?" Obi-Wan asked, sounding disappointed.

"Sort of," Luke said. "But Master Qui-Gon asked him to consult Mother before refusing. He said that she wouldn't want him to abandon his obligation to bring balance to the Force."

"Very clever," Obi-Wan said with a faint grin. "He was always an expert manipulator."

"You knew about this?" Padmé asked Obi-Wan, feeling somewhat betrayed that he hadn't cued her in on this sooner.

"I have conversed with Master Qui-Gon for nearly twenty years now," Obi-Wan said.

"But he's dead!" Padmé exclaimed, fearing that Obi-Wan had totally lost it.

"We've been over this, Padmé," Obi-Wan said with a hint of irritation. "You and Anakin chose not to believe me."

"Because it's impossible, Obi-Wan!" Padmé said exasperatedly. "I was at his funeral!"

"Forgive me, Padmé, but you do not understand the Force like I do," Obi-Wan said with a frown. "It is possible for one to retain consciousness post-mortem. Master Qui-Gon uncovered the secret and has passed his training on to Master Yoda and myself."

"You mean Yoda is alive as well?" Padmé asked stiffly.

"Not alive, no, but his presence exists through the Force," Obi-Wan explained vaguely. "You cannot converse with him because you are not Force sensitive, however."

"Well that suits me just fine," she replied. Yoda had been responsible for stealing Luke from her. She would never forgive him or the Jedi for that horrible offense.

"Master Qui-Gon wants to train Anakin," Obi-Wan continued, ignoring Padmé's vitriolic reaction to Yoda's name. "He can only do that here on Ahch-To."

"Why is that?" Luke asked.

"Qui-Gon did not live long enough to fully master the art of maintaining one's consciousness after death," Obi-Wan said. "He cannot appear as a corporeal form outside of this island. The Force is uncommonly strong here."

"Does this mean Vader is going to confront the Emperor?" Leia asked, clearly surprised by this development.

"It looks like it," Obi-Wan said, although he didn't seem convinced.

The storm persisted deep into the night and Obi-Wan deemed it was too dangerous to try to traverse down the trail to sleep in the comfort of the Falcon. Instead, they all assumed a spot by the dying fire and did their best to sleep on the hard, uncomfortable floor of the stone hut. Padmé tossed and turned in a fruitless attempt to find a comfortable position. She must have succeeded in getting a little bit of sleep, however, because she noticed that the rain had finally stopped and a faint ray of light was sneaking through the corners of the door.

Sitting up, Padmé winced and grabbed her shoulder which she had been sleeping on. Rotating it gingerly, Padmé wrapped Luke's cloak around herself as she stood up. Noticing that Obi-Wan was no longer there, Padmé walked quietly across the hut. Although she didn't want to wake them, Padmé couldn't stop herself from leaning down and kissing both Luke and Leia on the cheek as she passed them.

Opening the door as gently as possible, Padmé stepped outside. Near the cliff where Vader had been standing the night before stood Vader and Obi-Wan, both of them wearing their hoods as they talked. Trudging through the mud to reach them, Padmé got close enough to overhear their conversation.

"I just don't understand why I would need to learn that," she heard Vader say, sounding exhausted from having not slept last night.

"I don't know why either," Obi-Wan replied. "But if Master Qui-Gon thinks it's necessary, then I wouldn't question him."

"Good morning," Padmé called, startling both men who spun around to see her approaching.

"Morning, Padmé," Obi-Wan responded, recovering quickly from his surprise.

Turning to Vader, she was unable to see his face clearly due to the hood. "Did you not sleep?" she asked.

"No," Vader said drearily.

"Well maybe you two should conduct this conversation later," she said, giving Obi-Wan a pointed look. "Anakin ought to get some rest."

"Of course," Obi-Wan said.

"I was going to go down to the Falcon to see if there's anything to eat there," Padmé said, turning to Vader. "Why don't you come with me and get some sleep in a real bed."

Obliging silently, Vader accepted Padmé's outstretched hand and walked away with her towards the steep trail. Once they were out of earshot from Obi-Wan, Padmé turned to him. "So how was it?" she asked, burning with curiosity.

"I don't want to talk about it," Vader said moodily.

"Did it not go well?" she asked, suddenly concerned.

"I'm just tired, that's all," Vader said unconvincingly.

Relenting, Padmé didn't say anything else to Vader on the trip down the trail. She watched Vader nervously out of the corner of her eye as he stumbled more than once on the way down, his mind clearly elsewhere. Reaching the Falcon, Vader entered the guest room without a word and closed the door behind him. Frowning, Padmé stood there for a little while contemplating what could have possibly happened last night.

After having scavenged the entire Falcon for nearly half an hour to no avail, Padmé was beginning to panic slightly. Clutching a cup of tea which was the only edible item she had managed to find, she desperately tried to ignore the rumblings in her stomach as she paced back and forth in the main hold.

Unsure of what to do with herself, Padmé decided to go check in on Vader. Receiving no reply when she knocked, she gently opened the door and peeked inside. Vader was predictably asleep on the small bed, his feet hanging off the edge because he was too tall.

Acting impulsively, Padmé kicked off her shoes and tip toed into the room. As carefully as she could, Padmé climbed onto the bed and curled up next to Vader's sleeping form. Relieved that she hadn't woken him, Padmé placed a hand on his bare chest and gazed into his peaceful face. Before long, she too had fallen asleep by her husband's side.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Vader had fallen asleep the moment his head hit the pillow in the guest room of the Millennium Falcon. He hadn't thought he would be able to sleep despite his exhaustion. There was simply too much on his mind. His first training session with Master Qui-Gon had been long and frustrating to say the least. He didn't understand what it was that Qui-Gon wanted from him.

Yet when he opened his eyes, he was feeling remarkably relaxed and stress-free. Blinking a few times, he noticed a warm presence on his left. Turning his head, he saw Padmé curled up next to him, her mouth hanging open slightly as she slept. Thinking back to earlier that morning, Vader didn't remember her joining him.

Perhaps sensing Vader's eyes on her, Padmé woke up as well. Squinting, she took her hand off of his chest and rubbed her eyes as she propped herself up with her forearm. "I must have fallen asleep," she said with a groan. "I'm sorry."

"What are you apologizing for?" Vader asked, wishing that she wouldn't go anywhere.

Padmé frowned and fell back down to the pillow. "I don't know why," she said honestly. With a yawn, she closed her eyes again and snuggled closer to Vader.

They stayed that way for a long time, Vader absently stroking her hair as they both struggled not to drift back to sleep. "You know," he said after a while. "I think we're alone."

Padmé opened her eyes and looked up at him. "Is that so?" she asked innocently. Vader turned to look at her with a sly grin. "You're so bad," she told him, reciprocating his smile.

"I know I am," he said as he pulled her close to kiss her.

* * *

Leia woke up with a terrible pang in her stomach. With a groan, she lifted herself off the cold floor and sat upright. Looking around, she saw that she was the last to wake up. Picking up the cloak she had been using as a blanket and wrapping it around her shoulders, Leia struggled to her feet, moaning slightly as she worked out the kinks in her back.

Stepping outside into the morning sunlight, Leia squinted heavily as she looked around. In the distance, she noticed a group of grey-blue aliens in white robes congregated around one of the huts. Watching them curiously, Leia was startled when she heard a voice call her name.

"Morning, Leia!" Turning away from the curious aliens, Leia saw Vader approaching her, a broad grin on his face. "Beautiful day, isn't it?"

Frowning, Leia wondered what was going on. Why was he so happy? "Erm… morning," she replied awkwardly. "Where is everyone else?"

"I don't know," Vader said with a shrug, coming to a stop in front of her. "Your mother is taking a shower on the Falcon. I don't know where anyone else is."

Leia eyed him suspiciously before looking away towards the aliens again. "What are those?" she asked.

"Caretakers," Vader said, following her eyes. "They've vowed to look after the Jedi temple."

"How do you know that?" Leia asked, glancing at Vader who was squinting in the sunlight.

"Master Qui-Gon told me," he said, holding his hand above his eyes to lessen the glare.

Having nothing else to say, Leia pursed her lips and continued to stare at the caretakers. Out of the corner of her eye, Leia noticed that Vader too looked uncomfortable, unsure of how to conduct himself around her. She didn't know how to treat him anymore either. At first it had been simple to degrade him at every turn. He was a war criminal, after all. But it was clear that there was so much more to him. Luke absolutely adored him and her mother was clearly in love with him as well. Even Obi-Wan seemed to have thawed, leaving Leia as the sole objector to Vader's presence.

And yet here she was standing by his side, willing to accept his training. She had only accepted because she had figured it would be for a greater cause, but she couldn't pretend like she wasn't excited to learn the awesome powers Vader demonstrated so casually. She could picture herself deflecting blaster fire and leading troops into battle wielding a lightsaber…

"Here they come," Vader said, peering off in the distance. Shaking herself from her daydream, Leia followed Vader's eyes to see Han, Luke, and Obi-Wan climbing up the path. Luke seemed to be carrying a massive fish over his shoulder and was talking animatedly with Obi-Wan.

"I don't think I've ever seen so much water before!" she could hear him said enthusiastically. "It's like a whole ocean!"

"That's because it is an ocean, kid," Han mumbled, but Luke paid him no heed.

"Have you ever seen anything like that, Ben?" Luke asked.

"Erm… yes. Yes, I have," Obi-Wan answered.

Leia followed Vader over towards the head of the trail to greet the three. "How'd you catch the fish?" Vader asked.

Obi-Wan looked up to see Vader looming over him. "You can do a lot with a sufficiently pointy stick," he grumbled, lowering his head as he continued climbing the last few steps.

"Han tried to shoot it with his blaster," Luke said as they reached the top.

"I did not!" Han insisted indignantly. "I had the safety on."

"Why would you point a blaster at a fish if you weren't going to shoot it?" Leia asked skeptically.

"Well why don't you catch a fish next time, your worship?" Han retorted snidely.

"Don't talk to my daughter that way," Vader said, pointing a finger angrily at Han.

"Dad, you don't have to –" Leia stopped abruptly and flushed a deep scarlet. Cringing, she looked away in order to avoid Vader's surprised eyes. Had she really just called him that?

"Erm… well, why don't we go prepare this fish, Luke?" Obi-Wan suggested awkwardly after a tense silence, saving Leia from her humiliation.

"Uh… sure," Luke said, looking between Vader and Leia curiously.

"Leia, why don't you fetch your mother?" Vader suggested to her. "She's going to want to eat as well."

Relieved to have a reason to get away from him, Leia nodded and pushed past Han without looking up. Barreling down the trail, Leia shook her head and desperately tried to think of something other than Vader.

Having retrieved her mother from the Millennium Falcon, Leia and Padmé climbed the trail once again and joined the men who had managed to get another fire started, this time congregating outside due to the nice weather. The group ate the fish in silence, nobody daring to complain about the horrific taste. After having forced down the last bite, Leia wiped her hands on the grass and held her stomach, feeling queasy and decidedly still hungry.

"Well," Han said after he had finished as well. "I ought to be going."

"Going!" Luke exclaimed. "What do you mean you're going?"

"You thought I was just going to hang around with you lot?" Han said, leaning back on his elbow casually.

"Solo is going to get us some supplies," Vader said, eying Han suspiciously. "And if he doesn't, he will pay very dearly."

"Oh," Luke said, looking dismayed by the loss of his friend. "So you're going to come back?"

"Looks like it, kid," Han said, keeping his eyes on Vader. "But after that I'm out."

Leia glanced at Vader, realizing that this was a problem. "I'm afraid that won't be possible," Vader said icily. "We need your ship, Solo."

"I'm not giving you my ship!" Han exclaimed, propping himself upright. "That was never part of the deal!"

"I'm altering the deal," Vader said ominously. "Pray I don't alter it any further."

"And how are you going to get me to come back?" Han asked angrily. "I could ditch you the second I leave for the Rebels."

"Because Obi-Wan is going with you," Vader said.

"I am?" Obi-Wan asked, but Vader ignored him.

"If you make any wrong move, I will kill you," he said in a low voice. "You are disposable to me, Solo. Your ship is not."

Han glanced at Leia with a stunned expression. "You can't be serious!" he said angrily. "I saved your daughter's life!"

Vader hesitated briefly. "Immaterial," he said eventually. "Obi-Wan will keep you in line."

"And what if Obi-Wan decides he doesn't want to be your prisoner anymore?" Han asked.

"Obi-Wan is not my prisoner," Vader growled. "He is my friend."

There was a stunned silence for a brief moment. Glancing at Obi-Wan, Leia could see that the old Jedi was blinking rapidly, seemingly as surprised as she was at this declaration. Looking back at Vader, she saw her mother smiling at him at his side.

"It's settled then," Vader said, indifferent to the shock of those around him. "I suggest both of you leave now."

Everybody got to their feet. Han shook Luke's hand quickly before turning to leave. He paused briefly to look at Leia, clearly unsure if he should bid her goodbye as well. Deciding against it, he stormed off towards the trail angrily.

"You should follow him," Vader said to Obi-Wan. "He might try to leave without you."

"Thank you, Anakin," Obi-Wan said with a smile, placing a hand on Vader's shoulder. Nodding, Vader looked back at Obi-Wan silently for a few moments. "We'll be back soon," Obi-Wan said finally. Taking his hand off Vader's shoulder, Obi-Wan turned to leave as well.

"Hey, Obi-Wan!" Vader called out suddenly. Obi-Wan turned around and looked at Vader curiously. Reaching into his cloak, Vader produced Obi-Wan's lightsaber and threw it to him. "May the Force be with you," he said.

"May the Force be with you as well, Anakin," Obi-Wan said with a smile. Reattaching his old weapon to his belt, Obi-Wan turned once more to leave.

The four watched Obi-Wan walk away silently for a while. When the old Master's figure had finally descended out of sight down the trail, Vader turned to Leia. "It is time for your training," he said, glancing at Luke as well.

"What are we going to do this time?" Luke asked eagerly.

Vader turned to Luke, a devilish grin on his face. "You'll see," he said. "Although I suspect you won't find this as enjoyable."

With this ominous statement, Vader reached out and grabbed Padmé's hand. "Will you accompany us?" he asked.

"Me?" Padmé said, surprised by the invitation. "I don't think–"

"I insist," Vader said with a smile. "Besides, you don't have anything else to do."

Conceding this point, Padmé returned Vader's smile and nodded. "If you would follow us," Vader said cheerfully, walking off with Padmé at his side. Falling into step with Luke, the twins followed their parents towards the trail leading up the cliff.

"What do you think he's going to have us do?" Luke asked her nervously.

"I don't know," Leia said, watching Vader and Padmé suspiciously. Something was different between them this morning. They were positively euphoric around each other.

They continued climbing until they reached the very top of the island. They followed Vader through a carved archway in a large dome at the end of the trail. Inside, their footsteps echoed as they continued into the cave-like structure. At the center of the granite floor was a large circular seal which was illuminated by light coming from a naturally-forming doorway at the northern end of the room.

"The Prime Jedi," Vader said, stopping in front of the seal and looking down at it curiously. "It depicts the founder of the Jedi Order over 6,000 years ago." Luke and Leia were silent, waiting for Vader to tell them what they were going to be doing.

"Training in the Jedi arts is perhaps the most strenuous activity one can endure," he said finally, looking up from the seal. "You will be challenged not only physically but mentally. Your comprehension of the Galaxy will be irreversibly altered. As you are far older than when the Jedi used to begin training Younglings, I will be changing the regimen significantly to expedite your path."

Perhaps feeling out of place, Padmé stepped away from the group and began exploring the ancient temple. Leia watched her briefly before returning her attention to Vader.

"A Jedi's greatest weapon was his or her mind and knowledge of the Force," Vader continued. "But they were also great warriors, capable of extraordinary physical feats with and without the assistance of the Force. For this reason, the first part of your training will be to attune your bodies for the rigors of combat."

"What exactly does that mean?" Luke asked.

Vader gave Luke a mischievous grin. "It means cardio," he said. "Cardio, cardio, and more cardio."

"You can't be serious!" Leia exclaimed. She had not expected that their training would be strenuous in this manner, although now that she thought about it, it was a bit naive of her to assume that physical exercise wouldn't be involved. She was training to become a warrior, after all.

"I am entirely serious," Vader said. "Through exercise, you will also manage to clear your mind and enhance your access to the Force."

"So what are you going to have us do?" Luke asked, assuming a determined expression.

"I was thinking running up and down the steps from the village to the temple five times would be a good start," Vader said casually. "We'll work from there."

"What about you, are you going to do it with us?" Leia asked, feeling overwhelmed at the prospect of having to run up and down the trail five times.

"Perhaps another time," Vader said with a wink. "I think I'll keep your mother company for now, however."

"Bastard," Leia muttered earning a chuckle from Vader.

"Technically, I am," he said cheerily. "Now get going. I have a reward for whomever finishes first."

"That's not fair!" Leia exclaimed petulantly. "Luke's legs are longer than mine!"

"Well you better catch up to him quickly then," Vader suggested.

Turning around, she saw that Luke had already started running out of the temple. Cursing under her breath, she ran off after him. "Come back, Luke!" she called after him. "You cheater!"

Luke was far ahead of her, however. When she exited the temple, she saw Luke had already began descending the steps having discarded his cloak on the side of the trail. As she expected, she didn't have a chance at catching Luke. Besides being taller, Luke was undeniably in better shape than she was. He was a farmer who had worked with his hands for his entire life whereas she was a politician who had spent most of her life indoors.

By the time she reached the top of the trail for the second time, Leia was completely winded. Pausing to catch her breath, she doubled over and held her shaking knees. How was she going to do this three more times? Looking down, she saw that Luke was running up the trail towards her, no doubt on his third or fourth lap by now. Determined not to be shown up by her brother, Leia stood upright and began running down the trail for a third time. At least going downhill wasn't as bad, she thought to herself glumly.

By the end of her final lap, Leia was practically crawling up the steps, using her hands to propel herself upwards. Finally reaching the top, she saw Luke waiting for her with his hand behind his back. He had evidently finished a long time ago because he wasn't breathing hard. Reaching out, he offered her his hand and helped pull her up the last step. Releasing Luke's hand, Leia collapsed onto the grass and curled up into a fetal position as she took in huge gulps of air.

"My lungs feel like they're on fire!" she said after a few moments, struggling to her hands and knees. Luke patted her back sympathetically as he waited for her to recuperate. "How long have you been waiting for me?" she asked.

"Oh, not long," he said disingenuously.

"Liar," Leia said with a shake of her head. Slowly, she felt her heart rate begin to stabilize and her breathing become less ragged. Wiping her forehead, she got to her feet with Luke's assistance. Struggling into the temple, Leia didn't see Vader waiting for them as she had expected.

"I think they're over here," Luke said, gesturing to the doorway on the opposite side of the seal. Following him towards the massive crevice, Leia saw that there was a triangular-shaped granite protrusion overlooking the island. Seated cross-legged on a rock near the edge was her mother. By her side was Vader, standing upright with his hands behind his back as he gazed at the incredible scenery ahead of him.

"We did it," Luke said as they approached.

"Well done," Vader said without turning around. "Which of you finished first?"

"Luke did," Leia said with a hint of bitterness.

Vader turned around and looked at them both with a glimmer in his eye. "Good job, Luke," he said. "Do you want to know your reward?"

Luke shook his head eagerly, clearly happy at having impressed his father. "Yes, Father," he said.

Vader glanced at Padmé with a smile. "Your prize is you get to run the trail one more time," he said. Luke's mouth dropped open in shock, causing Leia to giggle immaturely at his fate.

Luke shook his head, but turned around to leave without objection. When his footsteps had faded away, Padmé stood up and approached Leia. "How was it?" she asked concernedly, brushing Leia's hair away from her damp face. "I told him that you wouldn't be ready for that."

"I did fine," Leia said stiffly, somewhat indignant that her mother didn't think her capable of the task. "It wasn't that bad, really."

Vader looked at her from behind Padmé with a smirk. "I'm glad to hear that," he said smugly. "Perhaps I should have you run ten laps instead next time."

"Maybe you should," Leia said defiantly. Why had she said that? Ten laps would kill her!

"Sit here," Vader ordered, pointing to the rock where Padmé had just been seated.

Obliging silently, Leia scrambled up to the rock, her legs wobbling as she did so. "I'll give you two some space," she heard her mother say. Vader nodded and watched Padmé leave. When she was gone, he turned back to Leia with a half-smile.

"It's alright to admit defeat every now and then," he told her. "I know you only barely performed the task today."

"I'll admit defeat when I'm defeated," Leia countered, irritated by everyone's doubt of her. "I'm much stronger than you give me credit for."

"I don't underestimate you, Leia," Vader said calmly. "I am fully aware that you are one of the strongest people I have ever known."

Leia looked up at him with surprise. Feeling an unwanted surge of pride at this unexpected compliment, Leia looked away quickly. Why did she care so much what Vader thought of her?

"I want you to close your eyes," Vader said, oblivious to Leia's embarrassment. "Connect with the Force like we did before."

Glad to have something to focus on, Leia closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Her mind seemed clear after the grueling exercise, and she soon found herself immersed in the calming hum of the Force.

"Very good," she heard Vader say. His voice seemed to emanate from all around as if he was a part of her rather than standing next to her. "This Force is strong on this island; can you feel it?"

Leia nodded, feeling remarkably at peace all of a sudden. All of her frustrations and worldly pains seemed to dissipate into nothingness in the comforting embrace of the Force.

"Tell me, what do you see?" Vader asked.

"Life and death," she said without hesitation. "Peace and violence. Love and hatred. Warmth and cold. Light and dark."

"And between it all?" Vader asked.

"A balance," Leia said, the words flowing out of her. "A harmony."

"Very good. You may open your eyes," Vader said.

Leia looked up at him, somewhat confused. "That's all?" she asked, having expected a challenge.

Vader raised an eyebrow. "Are you unimpressed?"

"No, it's just… I was expecting more, that's all," Leia said lamely.

"The Force binds together and penetrates all things," Vader said, walking in front of her so that he was blocking out the intense morning sunlight. "It is as ubiquitous as it is powerful. What more did you expect?"

Leia frowned as she considered this. What had she been expecting? "I thought it would be more difficult, that's all," she said.

"For most Force sensitives, what you have just done could have taken years to master," Vader said. "Your natural command of the Force is unheard of beside myself of course. Nonetheless, you still have much to learn. Understanding the Force is far different from actually using it and bending it to your will."

"Is that where the Light Side and the Dark Side diverge?" Leia asked. "In how they use the Force?"

Vader looked impressed by this question. "What do you know about the Light Side and the Dark Side?"

"Not much," Leia admitted. "Nothing at all, really. I've just heard the terms before."

Vader nodded his head and looked away, clearly deliberating about how to answer her question. "There are many different interpretations about the two sides of the Force," he said finally, turning back to look at her. "The Jedi would have told you that the Dark Side is merely a perversion of the Force and that the Light Side is the Force's true nature."

"And what do the Sith say?" Leia asked.

"Why do you want to know about the Sith?" Vader asked with a frown.

"It would be wise to know both sides of the debate," she said with dignity.

Vader snorted. "Spoken like a true politician," he said with a smirk. "You are right, of course. The Sith believe that we should not fear the Dark Side like the Jedi do. They argue that our passions make us stronger."

"Do they?" Leia asked.

Vader didn't answer for a moment, considering this question. "In a way," he said eventually. "By embracing the Dark Side, I became the most powerful individual in the Galaxy. The powers of the Jedi were pathetic in comparison to my own. Yet in the process, I became a shell of my former self."

"And you blame the Dark Side for that?" Leia asked with a hint of her former derisiveness towards him.

"No, but it served as a catalyst for my demise," Vader replied.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Leia said skeptically.

"It means that when I first turned to the Dark Side and pledged myself to the teachings of the Sith, my intentions were pure. Yet the power I gained along the way corrupted me. While I still cared about saving Padmé's life, I was also consumed by a lust for power."

"That could have been your fault, though," Leia suggested. "It doesn't mean that the Dark Side forced you to become a monster."

"They are intertwined, Leia," Vader argued. "My susceptibility to greed was enhanced by the powers the Dark Side provided me with."

Leia shrugged, unconvinced. "I think one could wield the Dark Side without being consumed by it," she said.

"Is that so?" Vader asked, seeming more amused than annoyed.

"I don't see why not," Leia said.

Vader looked at her curiously for a few moments. "Alright," he said after some time. "Let's test that theory."

"Now?" Leia asked.

"Yes, now," Vader said. "I want you to experience the true nature of the Dark Side."

"Um… how?"

"Close your eyes," he ordered. Biting her lower lip nervously, Leia closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"Focus on the Force around you like you did before" Vader said. "But this time I want you to concentrate on the Darkness. Close yourself off from the Light."

Although Leia had no idea how to do this, she tried to do as Vader said. The familiar buzz of the Force soon drowned out all the sounds from her surroundings. Honing in on an individual wave, Leia distinguished between the Light and Dark, probing the strands of energy with her mind. Focusing on the Dark, Leia suddenly began to feel cold despite the warm morning light.

Her vision began to darken as the sunlight that had been hitting her closed eyelids seemed to fade away. She felt herself being dragged down, yet not in a physical sense. Refusing to panic, Leia embraced the Darkness which was now swirling around her, allowing it to wrap itself around her and caress her mind.

Suddenly, she saw a tiny blue orb appeared on the horizon. What was it? Reaching out, she attempted to touch it but she found it was just out of reach. Frustrated, she felt the Force begin to swirl around her violently. Breathing heavily, Leia felt an overwhelming heat as the blue orb in front of her exploded into an inferno of flames which engulfed her. Screaming, Leia felt herself be dragged upwards by an unknown force.

Tearing her eyes open, Leia saw that she had fallen off the rock and was lying on her back. Struggling to her feet, she looked up at Vader who was watching her neutrally, his hands held in front of him. "Do you feel as if you can control the Dark Side now?" he asked her.

Leia shook her head vigorously, utterly terrified by what she had experienced. "That was horrible!" she exclaimed, her hands trembling violently. "What just happened?"

"The Darkness is extremely powerful in you," he said, stepping forward and placing his mechanical hand on her shoulder to steady her. "It is empowered by your passion."

"Passion?" she asked.

"Luke already told me what is at your core," Vader said. "Your anger and love burn brightly, Leia. This makes you susceptible to the Darkness."

"I don't want anything to do with the Dark Side!" she said. "Not anymore."

"You mustn't fear the Dark Side like the Jedi did," Vader told her. "It is an equal component of the Force alongside the Light. You must learn how to control it if you are to fully master your control over the Force."

"I'm afraid," Leia said, hating how childish she sounded.

"We are all afraid, my child," Vader said, giving her a solemn look. "Believe me, I know."


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

_How the hell did I get myself in this situation? _Han thought as he stood over Obi-Wan's sleeping form with a blaster in hand. Han had been many things in his life, but a murderer wasn't one. He had killed before, of course, but only out of necessity and only when his own life was threatened. Obi-Wan wasn't threatening his life, but Han knew he had to dispose of him regardless.

Vader had forced him into this situation. This wasn't Han's fault! He had nothing against Obi-Wan. Sure, he thought he was a strange old man, but he had no desire to kill him. If Han wanted to escape Vader's grasp and maintain his ship, however, he would have to kill Obi-Wan.

So why was the safety still on? He had never killed anyone like this before. His enemies were always staring him dead in the face with a blaster trained on him, not totally vulnerable and at his complete mercy. Every time he put his finger on the safety, Han pictured Luke's boyish face. What would Luke think of him if he killed his mentor in cold blood? What would Leia think of him? If she thought of him at all, that is…

What if he stunned the man instead? And then what? Stick him in an escape pod and eject him into hyperspace? How would that be any better than just shooting him in his sleep? Could he convince the Rebels that Obi-Wan had abducted him somehow and get them to arrest the old Jedi? Han doubted they would believe him. After all, General Kenobi was renowned as a hero amongst the Rebels for his service during the Clone Wars. No, the Rebels wouldn't believe Han.

He had to do this. There was no other option. Clicking the safety off, Han pointed the now armed blaster at the back of Obi-Wan's head…

Abruptly, the blaster was thrown out of Han's hand and collided into wall. Shocked, Han looked away from Obi-Wan for the briefest moment. As he did so, something heavy collided with the side of Han's skull, knocking him over. Han felt Obi-Wan jump on top of him and pin him to the ground, his cheek forced roughly into the floor.

"Were you going to kill me, Han?" came Obi-Wan's remarkably calm voice. Han said nothing, his head pounding painfully. There was little point in denying it, however. "I don't advise sneaking up on a Jedi, even one of my age."

With that, Obi-Wan released Han and stood up. Struggling to his feet, Han rubbed the side of his face gingerly. "I hope I didn't hurt you too much," Obi-Wan said, tilting his head to investigate the extent of Han's injuries.

"Um… I just tried to kill you, Obi-Wan," Han said, a trickle of blood pouring down his chin from his lip. "Why do you give a damn how I am?"

"You are the pilot," Obi-Wan said matter-of-factly. "I doubt I could fly this ship without you."

Utterly bewildered, Han didn't know what to say. Did Obi-Wan really not seem to care that Han had just pointed a blaster at his head? With a flick of his hand, Han's blaster went soaring across the room into Obi-Wan's hand. With wide eyes, Han watched as Obi-Wan turned the safety on and threw it back to him.

"You should put some ice on that," he said, gesturing to Han's bruised face. Speechless, Han looked down at the blaster in his hand. "I won't give it back to you if you try to kill me again," Obi-Wan said casually. "Now go along. I'd like to get some sleep before we arrive."

* * *

Obi-Wan was humming to himself as he awaited Mon Mothma's arrival. They had arrived on Hoth an hour prior and after a thorough search of their person and of the Falcon they were led deep into the Rebel Base. Han was seated awkwardly next to Obi-Wan on a couch that could only be described as austere.

Obi-Wan had suspected that Han might try something to get Obi-Wan out of the way. After Obi-Wan had made it clear that he intended to return to Ahch-To, Han had decided to take matters into his own hands. Obi-Wan had pretended to sleep for nearly five minutes as Han deliberated whether or not to kill him. He had hoped that perhaps Han would decide against pulling the trigger, but alas he had not. Instead, Obi-Wan had been forced to overpower the young man.

Obi-Wan was roused from his thoughts when the doors to the conference room opened abruptly. Mon Mothma, the leader of the Rebellion, strode into the room, her distinctive white dress billowing behind her. Obi-Wan rose when Mothma entered. Han, who wasn't used to diplomatic etiquette, was slow on the uptake and stood up far too late just as Obi-Wan and Mothma were both sitting down.

Ignoring Han's awkward behavior, Mothma extended her hand to Obi-Wan. "General Kenobi," she said with a warm smile. "It is an honor."

"Likewise, Senator," Obi-Wan replied, shaking Mothma's hand lightly.

"I take it you come bearing news about Senator Amidala?" Mothma said, releasing Obi-Wan's hand and clasping her own hands on top of her lap.

Obi-Wan raised his eyebrows in surprise. "How did you know?" he asked.

"I saw your message to Padmé on Yavin 4," Mothma told him. "I know she went to find you on Corsin. We haven't heard from her since, however."

With the seasoned eyes of a diplomat, Obi-Wan could tell that Mothma was desperate for information about Padmé although she was attempting to play it cool. No doubt, she feared that something horrible had happened to her ally and friend. "Padmé is well," Obi-Wan said, deciding to put Mothma at ease.

Mothma exhaled and closed her eyes. "I am glad to hear it," she said.

"I assume she told you about the nature of her relationship with Darth Vader?" Obi-Wan asked cautiously.

"She did," Mothma said. "Did she attempt to find him?"

"She didn't have to," Obi-Wan said. "Vader found her. He captured me on the Death Star and forced me to send that message to lure her away from the Rebels."

"I see," she said, looking concerned again. "How did you escape?"

"Vader is no more," Obi-Wan said with a half-smile. "I assume you heard the announcement from the Emperor a few days ago?"

"I did," Mothma said. "You mean to say he's dead?"

"In a sense," Obi-Wan said vaguely. "He has decided to turn against the Emperor thanks to Padmé's efforts. He has become Anakin Skywalker once again."

Mothma furrowed her brow, clearly skeptical. "How can you be so sure?" she asked.

"Padmé suspected you might be doubtful," Obi-Wan said, reaching into his cloak and producing a holorecording. "She recorded this for you."

Mothma extended her arm and accepted the circular recording. Placing it on the table in front of her, she activated the recording.

"_Hello, Mon," _Padmé's hologram said. _"I am recording this to confirm that whatever Han is telling you is true. I am perfectly safe where I am. I am with Anakin and our children. I discovered that Luke Lars is my son. I know this is a lot of information, but I hope you can tell that I am being genuine with you. I ask you to grant Han's requests and provide him with the supplies we need. Anakin has decided to train the twins, and I believe this is our best chance at winning this war. I ask you not to try and track me down and to not seek retribution against Anakin. I hope we will see each other again soon."_

The hologram flickered out, revealing a bewildered Mothma across the table. Obi-Wan remained silent, waiting for Mothma to say something. "Is this… is all of this true?" she finally asked.

"I assure you, everything Padmé said is true," Obi-Wan said. "Luke and Leia are being trained by Anakin in the Jedi arts. Once they are sufficiently powerful, they intend to take on the Emperor and end the war in one clean blow."

"I'm sorry, I can't possibly believe that," Mothma said much to Obi-Wan's dismay. "Why would Vader do this? Even if he has turned against the Empire, why wouldn't he defect to us?"

"Are you offering to harbor him?" Obi-Wan asked curiously.

Mothma hesitated. "No, but –"

"Anakin doesn't trust the Rebellion," Obi-Wan interrupted. "He suspects you will arrest him if he seeks your assistance. Can you honestly tell me that you would not do that?"

Mothma shook her head. "I cannot make that commitment. However, we may be able to reach a compromise if he supports our cause."

"Anakin doesn't make compromises," Obi-Wan said. "He will act independently of the Rebellion if you do not grant him a full pardon."

"And what will you do?" Mothma asked. "Will you join us?"

"I am too old to be of any use to you," Obi-Wan said with a charming smile. This was a lie, of course. The developing bruise on the side of Han's face was proof that Obi-Wan was more than capable of combat. Nevertheless, he felt he would be more helpful at Anakin's side.

"So what would you have me do about Vader?" Mothma asked. "Simply allow him to act unilaterally?"

"Yes, that is exactly what I would have you do," Obi-Wan said. "You cannot win this fight without him, Senator. Surely you must know this."

Mothma pursed her lips and looked down at the holorecording. "And what of the children? Are they content by their father's side?"

"I believe so," Obi-Wan said.

"That's not true," Han interjected, leaning forward off the couch. "Leia hates the bastard."

Obi-Wan gave Han a sharp look. "Leia hates Darth Vader," Obi-Wan said, furious that Han was attempting to sabotage this sales pitch. "She does not hate her father."

Han snorted and leaned back, one hand rested casually on the arms rest. "Sure," he said, rolling his eyes. "Whatever you say, man."

Mothma looked at Han curiously for a few moments. "And you believe Vader… I mean Skywalker's intentions are genuine?" she asked, turning back to Obi-Wan.

"Absolutely," Obi-Wan said. "He would do anything for his family."

Mothma nodded once slowly. "Very well," she said finally, sounding far from convinced. "I will trust your judgment, General Kenobi."

"Thank you, Senator," Obi-Wan said with a bow of his head. "You won't regret this, I promise."

"What supplies do you require?" she asked.

After providing Mothma with a detailed list of what they would require, both for the training of the twins and for basic survival on Ahch-To, Obi-Wan and Han stood up to leave. "I will have everything delivered to your ship within the hour," Mothma said, rising to her feet as well. "If I could just have a word with Mr. Solo in private, first."

Obi-Wan froze, surprised by this request. "Of course," he said, not daring to object. "I'll wait outside." Stepping outside, Obi-Wan paced back and forth in the icy hallway. What was it that Mothma wanted with Han? Was she going to attempt to use him as a spy of some sorts? Han certainly didn't have any loyalty to Vader, it would be easy to employ him for a sizeable sum of money. Obi-Wan would have to keep a close eye on the young smuggler.

* * *

A few days later, Obi-Wan and Han returned to Ahch-To. Obi-Wan hadn't asked Han what Mothma had talked to him about, but he could see that the younger man was clearly on edge. His stress could have been entirely unrelated to that conversation, however. After all, he was practically being forced to live on a deserted island for an indeterminate amount of time.

Luke and Leia were waiting for them at the bottom of the island, evidently having been sent by their parents to greet Han and Obi-Wan. Squinting as he stepped off the Falcon, Obi-Wan could see that the twins had changed in the few days they had been apart. Physically, they were no different, but they seemed to hold themselves differently now. They exuded the casual confidence of their father.

"Welcome back, Ben," Luke said, walking towards him and offering his hand. "How did it go?"

"Very well," Obi-Wan said, shaking Luke's hand and using his other to shade his eyes. "Unexpectedly well, I must say."

"Hey, Han!" Luke said, looking beyond Obi-Wan. Turning around, Obi-Wan saw Han standing at the top of the ramp, his hands on his hips.

"'Sup, kid," he mumbled as he walked down the ramp. "Where's your Pop?"

"He's not here," Leia said, only now stepping out of the shade and joining them.

"Sent you to do the dirty work, did he?" Han asked.

"It's a part of our training," Luke said importantly.

Han rolled his eyes and shook his head. "You tell yourself that, kid," he said dismissively. "Well come on in, we've got a lot to bring up."

"Ben, why don't you head on up," Luke suggested. "We can handle this."

Obi-Wan glanced subtly at Han to gauge his reaction. As he expected, Han looked very receptive at this suggestion. Han wanted to get the twins alone for some reason. "I think I will," Obi-Wan said. "I'm too old for this type of activity anyway."

"See you at the top, old man," Han said, turning around to go back into the ship. Smiling wryly at Han's retreating figure, Obi-Wan turned back to Luke and Leia.

"Go on," he said, nodding his head at the ship. "There's a lot to carry."

The twins followed Han up the ramp and into the ship. Obi-Wan waited for a minute before following them into the ship, taking great care to stay quiet. Sneaking down the hallway towards the main hold, he overheard Han saying something.

"You can't tell Vader about this, okay," he said in a hushed voice. Obi-Wan pressed himself against the hallway, as he tried to get as close as he could to the main hold without being visible.

"What are you talking about, Han?" he heard Luke ask.

"Mothma wanted me to give this to you," Han said. "She said you should contact her if you want to rejoin the Rebels."

"Why would we do that?" Luke asked. "We won't betray Father. Right, Leia?"

Obi-Wan didn't hear Leia answer him. No doubt, she wasn't as loyal to Vader as Luke was. "Look, you don't have to use it," Han said. "It's just an option."

"I'm not taking it," Luke said irritably.

"Give it to me," he heard Leia say.

"Leia!"

"I'm not going to use it, Luke," Leia said. "But we might need it, okay?"

"Why would we need it?" Luke asked.

"Just in case, alright?" Leia said.

"And what if I tell Dad?" Luke challenged.

"He'd kill Han if you did that," Leia replied. "You know he wants to."

Luke didn't reply for a while, considering this point. "Fine," he said after a while. "I won't tell. But we're not going to use that. The Rebels would take Dad away if we called for their help."

"I know that, Luke," Leia said. "I'm not going to use it."

"I thought you hated that guy, Leia," Han said, sounding disappointed. "What's changed?"

Obi-Wan inched closer, curious to hear Leia's answer. "We need him, okay?" she said. "There's no good in turning him over to the Rebels when we can still use him."

Slipping away from the doorway, Obi-Wan tiptoed down the hallway towards the guest room. So that had been what Mothma had talked to Han about. She wanted to get the twins to defect. Clearly, she had suspected that they were being held against their will or were otherwise reluctant to be trained by Vader. Han's comment about Leia hating Vader no doubt fueled that hypothesis.

Unfortunately for Mothma, the twins were loyal to their father for now. Closing the door behind him, Obi-Wan wondered why Leia had not jumped at the opportunity to return to the Rebels. Had she told the truth when she said that Vader was merely a useful tool? Or was she developing an attachment to Vader? Obi-Wan had noticed that their relationship seemed to have improved dramatically over the past few weeks. She had even slipped up and referred to him as Dad that one time…

Or perhaps she was only saying that for Luke's sake. Maybe she intended all along to contact the Rebels once Luke was out of sight. Obi-Wan would have to find out the truth if he wanted to protect Vader.

The sound of footsteps in the hallway confirmed that the trio had begun taking the cargo out of the main hold. Obi-Wan put his ear against the door to listen closely. Confident that the three were now gone, Obi-Wan opened the door and stepped back out into the hallway. As he turned to leave, however, he came face to face with Leia who was pointing a blaster at his chest.

"You're a sneaky one, aren't you?" she said menacingly. Obi-Wan raised his hands and took a step back. How had she known he was here? "I could sense you," she said, answering his unvocalized question. "I knew you were there all along."

"Impressive," Obi-Wan said calmly. "And what do you intend to do with me?"

"Promise you won't tell Vader about the comlink, or I'll blast a hole through your heart," she said with a snarl.

Obi-Wan lowered his hands and shook his head. He was really getting sick of these young people trying to kill him. With a flick of his wrist, Leia's blaster flew out of her hand and smashed into the hallway with a clang.

"You wouldn't kill me, Leia," Obi-Wan said. "Besides, you have nothing to fear from me."

"Oh yeah?" Leia said, apparently unfazed by being disarmed so casually. "Why not?"

"You and I think alike," he said, taking a step forward and kicking the discarded blaster behind him. "I know Anakin can be very useful to us, but I also know that he is a deeply flawed person."

"What are you saying?" Leia asked curiously.

"I'm saying we shouldn't put all of our eggs in one basket," Obi-Wan replied. "If your father ultimately decides not to face the Emperor, I want to make sure that you will be able to perform the task yourself."

Leia's eyes widened as she realized what Obi-Wan was saying. "What about Luke?" she asked. "Is he not capable as well?"

"I don't trust Luke to abandon his father," Obi-Wan said. "Besides, I see more raw strength in you."

Leia narrowed her eyes as she stared back at Obi-Wan suspiciously. "Alright," she said eventually. "Let's shake on it. If Vader fails, we will take on the Emperor ourselves."

"We shall," Obi-Wan said, reaching out and shaking Leia's much smaller hand. "Although I certainly hope it doesn't come to that."

END OF BOOK 2


	22. Chapter 22

**BOOK 3**

Three years later

Chapter 22

"Very good," Anakin said. "Feel the Force flow through you."

Anakin was walking in a circle around Leia who was seated cross-legged on the grass in front of a row of rocks. Watching from a few meters away was Padmé, her hand over her eyes as she fought off the afternoon sun.

Her eyes closed, Leia's forehead was scrunched in concentration. The largest rock was hovering precariously a few feet in the air, wobbling slightly. Slowly, it began to move to the right. Anakin watched with bated breath as Leia successfully transported the rock and dropped it back down to the ground.

"Excellent," Anakin said with an exhale of relief. "Now the next one."

Leia had initially been far better at moving objects with the Force than Luke had been. Over the past few weeks, however, she began to struggle more and more to the point that she barely had any control over the objects she was levitating. Anakin couldn't figure out what had happened. The sweat on her brow and the determined expression on her face confirmed that it wasn't for lack of effort.

"Clear your mind!" Anakin said sharply when the second rock took an abrupt tumble before recovering. "Focus on the Force."

Leia took a deep breath and lifted the rock back into the air. In the distance, Anakin could see Padmé frown with concern. Leia kept the rock stationary in the air for a few seconds, not daring to try and move it again. Slowly, it began to move rightward once again.

"Almost there," Anakin said, more to himself than to Leia.

The rock was hovering directly over the previous one now. All she had to do was lower it and stack the rocks on top of each other. Surely, she could manage this…

The rock plummeted to the ground and collided with the other rock with a dull thud. Unable to contain his disappointment, Anakin threw up his hands. "What happened?" he asked angrily when Leia opened her eyes.

"I… I don't know," she said pathetically, unable to meet her father's gaze.

Softening his expression, Anakin exhaled deeply and calmed himself. "It's alright," he said unconvincingly. "We'll try again."

"No, I don't want to," Leia said as she stood up.

"You don't want to?" Anakin repeated incredulously.

"You heard me!" Leia shot back, turning away and walking off towards Padmé.

"Leia, come back here!" Anakin shouted after her, but Leia didn't stop. Frustrated, Anakin kicked the rock in front of him. What had gotten into her? Leia and he had been getting along well for so long until now.

Padmé watched Leia storm past her with a concerned look, but she made no move to follow her. Once Leia had disappeared, Padmé turned to walk towards Anakin.

"What am I doing wrong?" Anakin asked her as she approached.

"Why do you think you're doing anything wrong?" Padmé asked as she stopped in front of him and put a hand on his chest.

Anakin shrugged and looked away for a moment. "I never learned how to be a parent," he said bitterly. "I don't know what I'm doing."

"You're a wonderful father, Anakin," Padmé said reassuringly. "Leia is just going through a phase."

Anakin shook his head. "It doesn't make any sense, Padmé," he said. "She was progressing so well until about a month ago."

"And you blame yourself for that?" Padmé asked.

"I don't know," Anakin said with a sigh. "I wish she would just…"

"Just what?" Padmé asked when he trailed off.

"Look at me like a father," he completed. "I want her to see how much I love her."

Padmé smiled up at him. "Give her time," she said, cupping his cleanly-shaven cheek with her other hand. "She does love you, in her own way. She's just too stubborn to admit it."

"Maybe," Anakin said pensively, looking up from Padmé to watch the suns descend on the horizon. He desperately wanted to agree with Padmé, but a small part of him insisted that it was selfish of him to expect Leia to reciprocate his love for her. It was perfectly reasonable for her to hate him. After all, he had been the one restraining her when her planet had been annihilated. Besides, she knew all of the horrible things he had done in the past. Leia was far less forgiving than her mother or brother. When she looked at Anakin, she still saw Vader whereas Luke saw his father and Padmé saw her husband.

"Well, I can show you how much I love you if you want," Padmé said seductively. Raising his eyebrows, Anakin looked back down at her.

"Is that so?" he asked playfully. Standing up on her toes, Padmé gave him a soft kiss on the lips. She separated from him far too quickly for Anakin's liking and smiled at him.

"You are a wonderful father and a wonderful husband, Anakin," she told him sweetly. "Don't you forget that."

"What did I do to deserve you?" Anakin asked as he leaned down to kiss her again.

* * *

"We need to talk."

Obi-Wan looked up quickly from his bowl of soup, having not heard anyone enter his hut. Standing in the doorway was Leia, her hand on her hips. Somewhat intimidated, Obi-Wan instinctively scooted away from her imposing shadow.

"Do we?" he asked nervously as he set aside the steaming bowl.

Leia looked behind her before stepping into the hut and closing the door. "I've been in communication with Mothma," she said, getting straight to the point.

"Have you?" Obi-Wan said, his eyebrows raised in surprise. "May I ask why?"

Leia began pacing in front of the still seated Obi-Wan. "I was getting frustrated," she said. "We've been here for three years and we're still no closer to killing the Emperor than when we first came here." Obi-Wan said nothing, having secretly harbored similar frustrations. "Anyway, when I reached out to her, she had some big news."

"Is that so?" Obi-Wan asked, intrigued. "What would that be?"

"The Empire is building a second Death Star," she told him, coming to a halt and turning to look him in the eye. "The Rebels only recently learned about this. They suspect it will be operational within the year."

"Oh dear," Obi-Wan said, his eyes wide. "That is bad news indeed."

"We have to do something before that station becomes operational!" Leia exclaimed, taking care to keep her voice low in case somebody overheard her. "And I don't think Vader is going to take action."

Obi-Wan stroked his chin as he considered this. "I take it you haven't shared this information with your father?" he asked.

"Are you kidding me?" Leia said in a hushed voice. "He'd freak out if I told him I was in communication with the Rebels." Obi-Wan remained silent, staring straight ahead sightlessly as he processed this information. If the Empire built a second Death Star, there was very little the Rebels could do about it this time around. No doubt they would have fixed the design flaw which had allowed Luke to destroy the first version. The time for action was now.

"You promised to help me," Leia said. Obi-Wan looked up at her with his brow furrowed.

"I suppose I did," Obi-Wan said noncommittally. "But we need confirmation that Anakin isn't going to act before going after the Emperor ourselves."

"You can't tell –"

"I'm not going to tell him," Obi-Wan interrupted. "But I can ask Master Qui-Gon what he thinks." Obi-Wan cringed slightly at the involuntary bitterness in his voice. He and Qui-Gon hadn't spoken to each other in a long time now. Obi-Wan suspected that Qui-Gon no longer trusted him for some reason.

Leia crossed her arms and pursed her lips, clearly not satisfied with this compromise. "What if Qui-Gon tells Vader?" she asked.

"I won't tell him all the specifics," Obi-Wan said. "I just want to get his take on Anakin's progress."

"Fine," Leia said. "But if Vader finds out, we'll be trapped on this island. He won't let us leave."

"I am aware of the risk," Obi-Wan said. "But trust me. I know what I am doing." With that, Obi-Wan stood up abruptly. "Stay here. I'll inform you of what I learn shortly," he said on his way out.

Marching out of his hut and towards the trail, Obi-Wan considered this turn of events. He had suspected for a long time now that Anakin was going to renege on his promise to take on the Emperor. He was far too happy to take such a massive and, from his point of view, unnecessary risk. He and Padmé were practically attached at the hip these days. Why would Anakin take on the Emperor when he could easily live out the rest of his days with Padmé on this secluded island?

Yet when Obi-Wan had begun to bring up his concerns to Qui-Gon, his former master had shot him down. He had told Obi-Wan to be patient. In time, Anakin would come to realize his role in the Galaxy, he said. Obi-Wan had trusted Qui-Gon then, but now it seemed that the time for patience had come and gone. If the Empire was indeed constructing another Death Star, they would have to act quickly. Would Anakin be willing to risk everything? Obi-Wan doubted it…

Reaching the tree, Obi-Wan stepped into the small doorway. Taking a deep breath of the dank, musty smell, Obi-Wan approached the Ancient Jedi Texts. Obi-Wan stopped in the middle of the room and waited with his hands clasped in front of him. "You can't avoid me forever, Master," he said irritably. "We have to talk eventually."

"_I'm not avoiding you, Obi-Wan," _Qui-Gon's calming voice said from somewhere in the darkness.

"Is that so?" Obi-Wan asked skeptically. "Then why haven't we spoken in months?"

"_I told you," _Qui-Gon said, his shimmering blue ghost appearing in front of him. _"We have nothing to discuss as long as you doubt my methods." _

"I don't doubt your methods, Master," Obi-Wan said. "The situation has changed, however."

"_How so?" _Qui-Gon asked.

"The Emperor is constructing a second Death Star," Obi-Wan told him. "The time to strike is now, but Anakin is no closer to acting than he was three years ago."

"_And you blame me for that?" _Qui-Gon asked defensively.

"You and Padmé," Obi-Wan said. "Neither of you are pressuring him enough."

"_Anakin does not respond well to pressure," _Qui-Gon said with a frown. _"He needs encouragement." _

"It's too late for that!" Obi-Wan cried exasperatedly.

"_Forgive me, Obi-Wan, but you do not understand Anakin as I do," _Qui-Gon said with a frown. _"You cannot force him into this." _

Obi-Wan opened his mouth in indignation. "I was his master for ten years!" Obi-Wan exclaimed. "You barely knew him for a week!"

"_And it was under your tutelage that he turned to the Dark Side," _Qui-Gon said.

"That was not my fault!"

"_Was it not?" _Qui-Gon asked, his eyebrows raised. _"Who would you blame other than yourself?" _

Sputtering, Obi-Wan couldn't come up with a coherent rebuttal. "This is beside the point!" he said finally.

"_On the contrary, this is of the utmost importance," _Qui-Gon countered. _"Do you really think there is a way to win this conflict without the Chosen One's involvement?" _

"Maybe he isn't the Chosen One!" Obi-Wan said angrily. "Have you ever thought of that? Have you ever even considered that you might have been wrong?"

"_And who would it be if it wasn't Anakin?" _Qui-Gon asked.

"His daughter!" Obi-Wan said loudly, his voice ricocheting off the walls. "She actually wants to take on the Emperor."

"_Leia is not capable of fulfilling that task," _Qui-Gon said sternly. _"Surely you must know that." _

"You think you know everything, don't you?" Obi-Wan spat bitterly. "You've invested so much energy into Anakin that you won't ever admit that maybe you were mistaken."

"_I will not tolerate this level of disrespect from you, Obi-Wan," _Qui-Gon said in a thunderous voice causing Obi-Wan to take a step back in shock. _"Perhaps you have forgotten that it was I who taught you everything you know." _

Obi-Wan shook his head and backed away, indignant at how he was being treated. He was a Jedi Master! Qui-Gon was acting as if he was still his Padawan! "I'm not going to let you ruin the Galaxy because of your pride," Obi-Wan said as he backed down the hallway.

"_No, Master Kenobi, it is your pride which is blinding you," _Qui-Gon said in a low voice. _"Leia is not the Chosen One." _

"You can't know that for sure!" Obi-Wan yelled, coming to a stop at the exit. His form blocked out most of the sunlight, causing Qui-Gon's Force ghost to appear more defined in the semi-darkness. "Anakin will not be the one to destroy the Sith. He's too timid."

"_Perhaps not," _Qui-Gon conceded, surprising Obi-Wan somewhat. _"But he will bring balance to the Force."_

"You keep telling yourself that," Obi-Wan said, shaking his head. Spinning around, he stormed away from the library angrily. Kicking a rock as he descended the steps, Obi-Wan fumed internally. Qui-Gon was a fool for trusting Anakin so much. It was as clear as day to him that Anakin couldn't possibly be the Chosen One. Why couldn't Qui-Gon see that as well?

Forget Qui-Gon! He didn't need to follow his old master's orders anymore. He would take action on his own accord. If he thought that Leia was the Chosen One, he ought to begin training her secretly just like Qui-Gon was training Anakin.

Returning to the hut, Obi-Wan wrenched the door open to find Leia lying on her back on the dirt floor with a bored expression. Looking up quickly when Obi-Wan entered, she gave out a sigh of relief. "Finally!" she said. "I've been waiting forever!"

Deciding to ignore this comment, Obi-Wan closed the door behind him and walked over towards her, sitting down cross-legged on the dirt floor. Leia sat up and brushed her back off. "So what did you find out?" she asked, her eyes brimming with eager anticipation.

"We will have to take matters into our own hands," Obi-Wan said gravely. "The time for action is now."

Leia nodded her head excitedly. "So what's the plan?" she asked.

Obi-Wan hesitated, having not thought this far ahead. Now that he thought about it, how was he going to train Leia without Anakin knowing? Moreover, how were they going to get off this island?

"What about Luke?" Leia asked suddenly.

"Luke?" Obi-Wan repeated. "What about him?"

"I think we should try and recruit him," Leia said.

Obi-Wan frowned at this. "I think that would be a bad idea," he said.

"I know it's a risk, but –"

"He will go straight to his parents if you told him what you have done," Obi-Wan said sternly. "We cannot risk it."

"I know, but…"

"But what?" Obi-Wan asked when she trailed off.

"I don't think I can do it without him."

Obi-Wan blinked a few times in surprise. It wasn't like Leia to doubt her own abilities. "Why do you say that?" he asked.

"We're stronger when we're together," Leia said. "Especially in combat. When we fight together, we can almost defeat Vader!"

Obi-Wan tried not to smirk. Luke and Leia were no doubt powerful, but they didn't hold a candle against Anakin's fighting skills. "But can you really trust him?" Obi-Wan asked, deciding not to burst her bubble.

"I trust Luke with my life," Leia said confidently. "If I ask him not to tell on us, I promise you he won't."

Obi-Wan bit his lip nervously. "Very well," he said. "But if you're wrong, it may cost me severely. Anakin may very well kill me if he finds out that I'm plotting to help you escape."

"He wouldn't do that," Leia said, although she sounded less sure of herself. "Besides, it won't come to that. I swear."

* * *

The next day, Luke and Leia were sparring intensely while Vader watched with his arms crossed a few meters away. Sweating profusely in the summer heat, Leia had to wipe her hands on her pants frequently in order to maintain a strong grip on her blue lightsaber. Circling each other, Leia could see that Luke was having a difficult time as well, as sweat poured down his forehead into his eyes.

Taking advantage, Leia struck suddenly with an overhead blow. Luke parried easily with his green blade, however, and quickly began a counterattack. Their sparring sessions often went this way. Both of them had certain advantages over the other. Luke had a longer reach and was stronger, however Leia was nimbler and more aggressive. Consequently, neither of them could ever defeat the other. It was as if they could read each other's thoughts when they were sparring.

Perhaps it was because of this perpetual stalemate that their father allowed them to use real lightsabers. He had been extremely nervous to allow them to use their real weapons for the longest time, but had acquiesced a few months ago when Luke and Leia had both protested to him. What was the point in constructing a lightsaber if they were never going to use them?

From behind her, she heard Vader whistle, signaling for them to stop. Extinguishing her lightsaber, Leia wiped her brow as she turned to look at him. "Very good," he said as he approached. "You're both clearly improving."

"Thanks, Dad," Luke said as he reached down and picked up his water bottle. "Do we get to spar with you today as well?"

Vader pushed his long hair out of his face as he considered. "Alright," he said after a moments deliberation. "Let me get changed, though. It's too hot to be fighting in these robes."

"Okay," Luke said.

"Be right back," Vader said as he turned around towards the hut he shared with Padmé. Watching him leave, Leia collapsed down onto the grass and lied down on her back. Next to her, she heard Luke sit down as well.

"Aren't you exhausted?" she asked him. "Why do you want to keep sparring?"

"I don't feel like I'm making any progress when I fight against you," he said honestly. "We can't make a dent in each other's defenses."

Leia sighed and turned her head to look directly up at the sky. "But it's so hot!" she exclaimed.

Luke chuckled and shook his head. "You're not going to improve with that attitude," he told her.

Groaning, Leia sat back up and grabbed her knees. "Why do you always have to be right?" she asked irritably. In the distance, she saw Vader approaching. He had changed out of his robes into a loose pair of brown pants and a sleeveless undershirt. His long, greying hair was blowing about in the merciful breeze as he walked towards them.

Luke jumped to his feet and discarded his water bottle. Frowning at his enthusiasm, Leia took her time getting to her feet. "Let's switch it up this time," Luke whispered to her. "You go high and I'll go low."

"That makes no sense," Leia said, shaking her head. "I'm not tall enough."

"I know, but he won't expect it," Luke said earnestly. "Maybe we can throw him off that way."

Vader stopped a few feet in front of them and placed his hands on his hips. "Are you ready?" he asked.

Luke and Leia looked at each other before nodding simultaneously. Drawing their weapons, Vader made no move at the sight of two active blades in front of him. Confused by his nonchalance, Leia glanced at Luke who shrugged, clearly as perplexed as she was.

Luke bent his knees and gripped his weapon firmly. He faltered, however, when Vader cracked a smile at him. "I wouldn't suggest that approach," he said with a shake of his head.

"Ignore him," Leia whispered to Luke. "He's trying to mess with you."

Nodding, Luke took a deep breath and steadied himself. All the while, Vader still hadn't drawn his weapon. "Now!" Luke cried, jumping forward and rolling as Leia leapt over him with her lightsaber over her head. Leia was about to swing down when she felt as if she hit a solid wall and was propelled backwards several feet. Landing hard on her back, Leia was completely winded.

Struggling to her feet, Leia saw that Vader had yet to draw his weapon. Having swung at Vader's feet with his green blade, Luke's blow missed badly as Vader jumped away gracefully. Leaping up to his feet, Luke took a swing at Vader's shoulder but missed again as Vader dodged the blow with ease. Picking up her lightsaber which she had dropped, Leia ran back towards the fight.

As Luke wound back for another strike, Vader pushed him away casually with the Force. Leia's eyes widened as Luke's body came hurtling towards her. Leaping out of the way, she deactivated her lightsaber so as not to accidentally injure Luke or herself. Falling to the ground, Leia felt her weapon fall out of her hands once again. Wincing, Leia flipped over onto her back to see Vader standing over her with her own weapon pointed at her chest. To her right, she saw that Luke was in a similar predicament, with Vader pointing Luke's green lightsaber at him with his other arm.

Deactivating both of the lightsabers, Vader dropped them down to the ground at Luke and Leia's feet. "Let this be a lesson to you," he said as he reached down to offer Leia his hand. "One does not need a weapon to win a fight."

Slapping Vader's hand aside, Leia got to her feet without his help. "That's not fair," she said to him with a scowl. "You've never used the Force in a sparring session before."

"It's plenty fair," Vader said with an amused grin. "There are no such rules in war."

"That was incredible," Luke said as he too rose to his feet. "You threw us around like rag dolls!"

"You must remember that your greatest weapon isn't your lightsaber, but your mind and knowledge of the Force," Vader told them sagely. "You mustn't put too much faith in your blade."

"But we can't use the Force in a fight," Leia complained. "It takes too much effort to move objects while also fighting."

"That is why we practice," Vader told her with a faint smile. "In time you will learn to integrate your Force abilities into your combat techniques.

"And how long will that take?" Leia asked skeptically.

"You must remember that the Jedi were trained practically from birth," Vader said. "You two have made remarkable progress in just three years of training. You must be patient, young one."

Leia clenched her jaw and looked down. He always spoke to her like that. As if she wasn't ready. She'd show him!

"Why don't you two go down to the Falcon to take a shower," Vader suggested, oblivious to Leia's vexation. "Your mother wants you clean for dinner."

Luke nodded obediently and told him that they would do that. Wordlessly, Leia followed Luke towards the trail. Perhaps sensing Leia's mood, Luke looked at her nervously after they were out of Vader's earshot. "What's wrong?" he asked.

Leia glanced behind her to see if Vader was still watching them. He wasn't, having turned around as well and walked back towards the little village. "He's so condescending!" she said irritably. "He always talks down to us like that."

"Like what?" Luke asked, clearly not sharing her frustrations.

"Like we aren't ready!" Leia hissed. "Like we're children!"

Luke frowned and looked away. "He's just cautious, that's all," he said.

"And that doesn't bother you?" Leia asked. When Luke said nothing, she pushed further. "Look, when we first came here he promised that he would take on the Emperor. But it's been three years now and he hasn't done anything of the sort! He's cripplingly timid, Luke!"

"That's not true," Luke protested lamely.

"Yes, it is!" Leia insisted. "He's infinitely more powerful than the Emperor. Did you see how easily he defeated us without even drawing his weapon? Yet he refuses to take action."

Reaching the trail, Luke paused before beginning the descent. "What are you trying to say?" he asked, turning to look at her in the face.

"I'm saying we have to take action ourselves," she said in a whisper. "I'm done waiting for him."

"That would be suicide," Luke said, crossing his arms. "We don't stand a chance against the Emperor."

"How do you know that?" Leia asked. "What is he, one hundred years old?"

"He's a Sith Lord, Leia!"

"They're building another Death Star," Leia said in a hushed voice.

"What?!" Luke said loudly, caught off guard by this abrupt disclosure.

"Shh!" Leia said, putting a hand over his mouth. "Keep quiet!"

Removing Leia's grimy hand, Luke wiped his mouth before speaking again. "How do you know that?" he asked quietly.

"Remember the comlink Han gave us three years ago?"

"You used it?" Luke said. "Leia! You promised you wouldn't!"

"I'm sorry, okay? But I was dying to get information. Don't pretend like you haven't been restless here either." Luke shook his head and gave Leia a stern look, but he didn't contradict her. "Let's start walking down," Leia suggested. "It'll look suspicious if we're just standing here."

Obliging, Luke descended a few steps before turning around again to face her. "I can't believe you did that," he told her.

"You're not going to tell him, are you?" she asked nervously, stopping one step in front of him so that they were at eye level.

"No, but –"

"Luke, listen to me! You can't tell Vader this. Or Mom for that matter. If either of them find out that I've been in communication with the Rebels they'll freak out."

"But Leia, we have to tell them!" Luke said. "Dad needs to know that we're running out of time to kill the Emperor!"

"Do you honestly think he's going to do anything if we tell him that?" Leia asked.

Luke pursed his lips and looked away. "I don't know," he said. "He said he would."

"That was three years ago, Luke," Leia said. "He doesn't care about the Galaxy. All he cares about is his own happiness. If we tell him the Empire is building another Death Star, he won't see that as a problem."

"How can you say that?" Luke asked indignantly.

"He watched Alderaan get destroyed without raising a finger!" Leia cried. "He doesn't give a damn about anyone other than himself and his family!"

"And what if I go to him right now?" Luke challenged. "What would you do then?"

"I have the high ground, Luke," she said, placing a hand on her lightsaber. "You couldn't get past me even if you tried."

Luke's eyes widened as he realized what she was saying. "You wouldn't –"

"Oh yes I would," Leia said. "This is too important, Luke. You're either with me, or you're my enemy."

Luke narrowed his eyes and for a brief moment she thought he was going to try to attack her, but he didn't. Instead, he looked away and took a deep breath of the salty ocean air. "What are you planning on doing?" he asked.

"Obi-Wan and I were going to take the Falcon to join up with the Rebels," she told him.

"Ben knows about this too?" Luke asked incredulously.

Leia nodded her head. "He agrees with me. He doesn't trust Vader to take action either."

"But you can't just leave!" Luke said. "Mom and Dad would be stranded here."

"We can come back to get them after the Emperor is dead," Leia said nonchalantly. "It's not as if they're going to go anywhere anyway."

"I don't know," Luke said anxiously. "I don't feel like we're ready."

"We've been training for three years!" Leia said exasperatedly. "Besides, we're running out of time. If we want to act, we have to do it now."

Luke pursed his lips and looked down at his feet, clearly conflicted. "I… I have to think about it," he said finally.

"Fine," Leia said. "But you can't tell Mom or Vader about this, alright?"

"I won't," Luke said, turning around to descend the trail. Watching him suspiciously, Leia didn't know whether or not she could trust him. And what if he ultimately decided not to go with her? Then he would have no reason not to tell Vader. Leia would have to act quickly if she wanted to maintain the element of surprise over her father.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

When they reached the Falcon, Leia was surprised to see Obi-Wan sitting in the main hold, his legs draped over the hologram table. "What are you doing here?" she asked him.

Startled, Obi-Wan looked up quickly to see Luke and Leia looking at him. "I'm on Han duty," he said, taking his legs off the table and sitting upright.

"Oh," Luke said. "Where is he?"

"Moping in his room I bet," Obi-Wan said with a yawn. "Haven't seen him yet."

Han had essentially become their prisoner for the past three years. Vader refused to allow him to leave because they required his ship in case they ever needed to leave Ahch-To. They couldn't trust Han not to fly away, however, so they had to guard him during the day. Only Padmé was exempted from the dreaded 'Han duty' because she alone could be overpowered by Han if he tried to make an escape.

"Well I'm going to go take a shower," Luke said. Turning around, Luke walked off down the hallway towards the head. When his footsteps died away, Leia turned back to Obi-Wan.

"I told him," she said quietly.

"How did he take it?" Obi-Wan asked.

Leia frowned and looked back down the hallway where Luke had gone. "I'm not sure," she said honestly. "He promised not to tell Vader, but I don't think he's going to join us."

Obi-Wan nodded. "I suspected as much," he said. "It's time to go, then."

"Now?" Leia asked in surprise. "Like right now?"

"Yes, right now," Obi-Wan said, standing up. "Now is our best opportunity."

"What about Luke?" Leia asked.

"He's going to come along for the ride it seems," Obi-Wan said as he walked towards the hallway.

"Where are you going?" Leia asked, adrenaline beginning to course through her. They were actually doing it! They were finally going to do something meaningful!

"To get Han," he said. "We need a pilot, after all. You should go get Luke's lightsaber."

"His lightsaber?" Leia repeated dumbly.

"Yes, his lightsaber," Obi-Wan said patiently. "He's not going to be happy when he finds out what happened. If he's in the shower, you should be able to steal it from him."

"Oh!" Leia said, glad that Obi-Wan was thinking so far ahead. "Good idea."

Obi-Wan and Leia both left the main hold and made their way down the hallway. Obi-Wan stopped at the first door which was Han's room. Next door was the head where Luke was taking a shower. Leia hesitated for a moment, considering how she was going to do this. Deciding against coming up with some lie for why she was there, she pushed the door open quietly.

Slipping inside, she looked up nervously to see for any sign that Luke had noticed her. Fortunately, the water of the shower had drowned out the sound of the door opening. Sneaking over towards the sink where Luke had unceremoniously dumped his clothes, Leia rummaged through the fabric until she found his lightsaber.

Rushing out of the head, Leia ran into Obi-Wan and Han in the hallway. Han was looking positively ecstatic. "Let's get going!" he yelled as he ran towards the cockpit.

"Did you get it?" Obi-Wan asked.

"It's right here," she said with a grin. "He didn't know I was there."

"Great work," Obi-Wan said, causing Leia to beam with pride. When Obi-Wan praised her, she felt as if she was worthy. Vader gave her complements as well, but she never felt like he really meant it. It was as if he felt obliged to complement her solely because she was his daughter and not because of her merits.

Leia followed Obi-Wan into the cockpit where she saw Han manically flipping switches and pressing buttons. Han had had a rough three years. He barely went outside anymore, electing to stay inside his ship instead. He was sporting a dry, tangled beard and his hair nearly reached his shoulders. He had lost a lot of weight as well and his skin was a deathly white pallor.

"I can't wait to get out of this hellhole!" he exclaimed when he saw them enter the cockpit. "Y'all ready to go?"

"As ready as we'll ever be," Obi-Wan said, watching Han's frantic hands with trepidation. "You can still fly this thing, right?" he asked.

"Of course I can!" Han said loudly, running his hands through his wild hair now that he had finished with the ignition process. "I've been waiting for this moment for three goddamned years!"

"I'll be in the main hold," Obi-Wan said nervously, clearly unconvinced by Han's assurances. "I hate flying," she heard him mutter as he turned to leave.

"Looks like you're my copilot, Princess," Han said to her. "Buckle in."

Displeased at being left alone with the deranged Han, Leia skirted around him towards the copilot's seat. Fastening her seatbelt, she looked out the window at the Ahch-To cliffs. Suddenly, she felt unconfident in herself. Was she really making the right choice?

* * *

Anakin was getting changed when he heard Padmé shriek from outside. Startled, Anakin threw his robes aside and rushed out of the hut. "What's wrong?" he asked, breathing heavily.

"The Falcon!" Padmé screamed, pointing up at the sky. Looking up, Anakin felt panic course through him when he saw the freighter rising upwards. "Luke and Leia are on board!" Padmé cried. "You have to stop them!"

Not knowing what he was doing, Anakin ran off towards the cliffs. Coming to a stop at the edge, he raised up both of his hands and shouted.

* * *

"So, where are we off to?" Han asked Leia as he lifted the Falcon into the air.

Leia had been about to answer when the entire ship tremored. Leia and Han would have gone flying into the windshield had it not been for their seatbelts. Somewhere in the main hold, she heard Obi-Wan shout in shock.

"What's happening!" Leia cried.

"I have no idea!" Han yelled, his hands moving frantically as he tried to diagnose the problem. "It's like we got caught in a tractor beam or something!"

The ship was vibrating horribly, and Leia felt a sinking feeling in her core as the Falcon began to fall back down towards the ground. "We're falling!" she screamed.

"Hold on!" Han bellowed. "I'm gonna punch it!"

"Wait, Han don't –"

But Han didn't pay attention to her as he pushed the hyperspace lever. Blue streaks appeared in front of them and moments later the Falcon went barreling into space uncontrollably. Leia screamed as the ship began to spin wildly.

"Han, you son of a –"

"Don't worry I got this!" Fumbling wildly at the control panel, Han somehow managed to get his hand back on the hyperspace lever. Pulling it with all his strength, the Falcon lurched forward and came to an abrupt halt. Breathing heavily, Han turned to Leia and gave her a grin.

"I told you I got it," he said with a wink.

"You could have killed us!" she exclaimed, tearing off her seatbelt and sitting up quickly. "What about Luke and Obi-Wan?"

Han's smile faded. Terrified at what might have happened to them, Leia ran out of the cockpit towards the head. Luke had been in the shower at the time. What if he had been horribly injured?

Thrusting the door open, Leia couldn't make out anything in the steamy room. "Luke!" she called out. "Luke, where are you?" Leia's heart skipped a beat when she looked down and saw Luke's body crumpled in a heap on the tiled floor.

"Luke!" she yelled, rushing towards him and falling to the ground, her knees becoming soaked from the soapy water which had pooled on the floor. Turning him over, she saw with a start that he seemed to be unconscious.

"Han, help!" she yelled out the open door. Shaking Luke frantically, she cradled his head in her arms. "Please don't be dead!" she pleaded with him. "Please don't leave me!"

* * *

Anakin had been shocked when his desperate attempt to stop the Falcon had seemed to work. The freighter had come to an abrupt stop when he had raised his arms. His arms shaking with the colossal effort, he slowly began to reign the ship back down to the ground. But the Falcon had managed to escape by entering hyperspace.

Breathing heavily, Anakin was staring at the sky where the Falcon had just disappeared. Trembling with rage, he barely noticed that Padmé had come to his side. Tearing his eyes away from the sky, he saw that her face was wet with tears. "I can't believe they did that," she said in a crestfallen voice. "They ran away from us."

Raking his hands through his hair, Anakin felt an overwhelming rage course through him. He hadn't felt this angry in years…

"Ani, what are we going to do?" Padmé asked, panic creeping into her voice. "We're stranded here!"

Unable to answer her, Anakin went storming off towards the village. Reaching Obi-Wan's hut, he tore the door off its hinges using the Force. As he expected, there was nobody inside. Roaring with anger, Anakin threw his fist into the dirt floor. The hut exploded around him as shards of stone were ejected outwards violently. Obi-Wan had betrayed him after all. He had stolen his children away from him!

* * *

Having wrapped Luke in a towel, Han half-carried, half-dragged the unconscious young man out of the head and towards the guest room while Leia watched, too stunned to be of much help. With a grunt, Han dumped Luke down on the cot.

"He's breathing," Han said gruffly as he stepped aside. Rushing forward, Leia fell to her knees at the bedside. Her terror somewhat subsided, she could analyze Luke's body more closely. She saw that he had a nasty looking gash on the side of his face. The blood was smeared down his neck, having been dispersed by the water. Other than this ugly injury, however, Luke appeared to be unharmed.

"He probably hit his head," Han said behind her. "Knocked him out cold, I'd reckon."

Leia looked up to see Han's concerned expression. "How's Obi-Wan?" she asked, feeling somewhat guilty that she hadn't thought of him until now.

"He's alright," Han said. "Just a bit shaken up, that's all." Nodding, Leia looked back down at Luke and began brushing his hair absentmindedly. "I'll be in the cockpit," Han mumbled.

Hearing the door shut behind her, Leia closed her eyes and gave a deep sigh of relief. Luke could have easily broken his neck when the ship had been spinning out of control. While she was relieved beyond measure that this hadn't happened, she couldn't help but feel guilty. It was her fault that he was here in the first place, and it had been her fault that he had been in such a vulnerable position during take-off. Leia couldn't help but feel as if she had made a terrible mistake by leaving Ahch-To…

"Leia?"

Opening her eyes, she saw that Luke had woken up. Wincing, he placed his hand on the side of his face. "Ow!" he exclaimed when he made contact with the wound.

"Don't touch that," Leia said, removing his hand gently.

"What… what happened?" Luke asked. "Where am I?"

Leia hesitated, realizing that Luke was bound to be angry when he found out what she had done. "You're on the Falcon," she said cautiously. "You, um… you hit your head."

Luke frowned and tried to sit up, yet gave up when his face turned white with the effort. "Is Mom here?" he asked.

Cringing, Leia looked away from Luke's pained face. "I'll explain everything later," she said, unable to meet his gaze. "You should get some rest for now."

Much to Leia's relief, Luke didn't object with this. Exhaling deeply, Luke sank into his pillow and closed his eyes, clearly exhausted from the conversation. Leia remained kneeling by Luke's bedside for a few minutes, the guilt growing within her with each passing moment.

A knock on the door caused Leia to look away from Luke. "Come in," she said quietly, not wanting to wake Luke. The door creaked open to reveal Obi-Wan who was holding an icepack to his head.

"How is he?" he asked.

"Not too bad," Leia said, glancing back at Luke to confirm that he was asleep. "It could have been much worse."

Obi-Wan remained silent for a moment as Leia stood up. Taking great care not to disturb Luke (nor to dislodge the precariously wrapped towel), Leia took the wet blanket out from underneath him.

"You can't do anything else for him," Obi-Wan said as Leia stood over Luke with a concerned expression. "Let him sleep for now."

Reluctantly, Leia turned around and followed Obi-Wan out of the room, turning the lights off on her way out. Walking towards the main hold, Leia saw Han was waiting for them seated on the hologram table. Upon seeing them, Han jumped off the table.

"Is someone going to tell me where we're going?" he asked with a hint of irritation.

"Mothma gave you the coordinates, right?" Obi-Wan asked her. Leia nodded absently, her mouth feeling dry.

"Leia?" Han said.

Leia looked up at him, her lower lip trembling slightly. "I… I think we should turn back," she said.

"Turn back?" Han repeated incredulously. "There's no way in hell that's happening, Princess!"

"We can't turn back now, Leia," Obi-Wan said. "Surely you must know that."

"I know, it's just…" Leia trailed off, not sure of what she was saying. "I feel like this was a mistake."

"Because of Luke?" Obi-Wan asked.

Leia nodded and looked away. She felt very young all of a sudden. She had no idea what she was doing, completely lost without her parents' guidance and support.

"That wasn't your fault," Obi-Wan said, giving Han a dirty look.

"I know, but…"

"But what?"

"It feels like a bad omen," she said, biting her lip as she looked back up at Obi-Wan.

"There are no such things as omens," Obi-Wan said dismissively. "I understand that you're concerned for Luke, but we can't let that affect our decision making. You do still want to defeat the Empire, correct?"

"Of course, but –"

"Then that's what we should be focused on!" Obi-Wan interrupted. "If you turn back now, the Empire will win."

Leia swallowed hard and nodded her head. "You're right," she said. "I'm sorry. I'm not thinking straight."

Obi-Wan's expression softened somewhat. "That's perfectly understandable," he said. "Why don't you go with Han to the cockpit. I need to lie down," he added, gesturing to his bruised forehead.

"Okay," Leia said hoarsely as Obi-Wan strode out of the main hold. Han watched Leia curiously for a few moments before speaking.

"Come on, Princess," he said, the typical sass absent from his voice. "Let's get going."

* * *

"He betrayed me!"

Qui-Gon watched nervously as Anakin paced in front of him, his heavy steps echoing around the walls of the library. _"Are you sure that's what happened?" _Qui-Gon asked tentatively.

Anakin stopped and turned to look at him. "My children are gone! Obi-Wan must have abducted them!" Qui-Gon pursed his lips and said nothing, evidently wary at Anakin's wrath despite being a ghost. "I hate him! I hate the Jedi! I hate it all!"

"_Anakin, please –_"

"You're no better!" Anakin exclaimed, pointing a finger at Qui-Gon. "I'm done with the Jedi! I'm done with being the Chosen One! I'm done with all of it!" Enraged by Qui-Gon's lack of response, Anakin produced his lightsaber and activated it, the red hue clashing unnaturally with the faint blue light of Qui-Gon's Force ghost.

"Are you going to stop me?" he asked Qui-Gon maliciously. Qui-Gon remained silent, his hands clasped in front of him as he watched Anakin with a sad expression. "Fine! Be like that."

Turning around, Anakin raised his lightsaber high over his head and slashed down at the Jedi Texts. His weapon sliced through the ancient tomes with ease as sparks went flying when he made contact with the covers. Again, Anakin swung down at the mutilated books. Again and again and again…

"_Do you feel better?" _

Panting heavily, Anakin turned his back on the charred remains of the books and looked at Qui-Gon. "Not really," he said. "Just a little, maybe."

"_The Jedi are no longer your enemy, Anakin," _Qui-Gon said calmly. _"Sidious alone bears that title." _

"Sidious didn't steal my children from me! The Jedi have done that twice now!"

"_No, but he will kill them if he gets the chance," _Qui-Gon said. _"You must protect them from the Sith." _

"But how!" Anakin exclaimed. "I'm stranded on this island! Obi-Wan incarcerated me here!"

"_Remember your training, Anakin." _

Anakin froze and looked up slowly at Qui-Gon's face. "That's why?" he asked.

Qui-Gon shrugged. _"I didn't know for sure, but I suspected it may be necessary that you learn that particular ability." _

Eyes wide, Anakin shook his head and resumed pacing. "But…but you said that I might–"

"_I wish it hadn't come to this, Anakin" _Qui-Gon interrupted. _"But this is of the utmost importance. The lives of your children depend on this." _

Anakin said nothing, his face white as he considered what he had to do. "But Padmé… what about her?"

"_She will understand," _Qui-Gon said somberly.

"I–I can't," Anakin stammered.

"_You must,"_ Qui-Gon countered. _"The fate of the Galaxy rests on your shoulders." _


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

"Would somebody explain what the hell is going on?"

Leia spun around in her chair to see Luke, still dressed solely in a bath towel, standing in the entrance of the cockpit. His face was a sickly shade of white, but his eyes were steely. Leia had never seen her brother look this way before. In a way, he looked like a young Vader.

"Luke, you shouldn't be up!" Leia exclaimed, sitting up from the copilot's chair and rushing towards him.

"Where are we going?" he asked Han, ignoring Leia. Han hesitated, not knowing what to do.

"Luke, please sit down –"

"You abducted me!" he roared, causing Leia to shrink away from him in fear. "Where are you taking me?"

"Luke, I –"

"Tell me!"

From behind Luke, Leia saw Obi-Wan appear with an inquisitive look on his face. "What's going on?" he asked. "Why is Luke up?"

Luke spun around. "Ben, you traitorous scumbag," he said savagely.

"Luke!" Leia exclaimed, shocked at Luke's vitriol.

"What did you tell her?" Luke asked, grabbing a very surprised Obi-Wan by the front of his shirt. "Did you tell her only she could defeat the Emperor? That my father wasn't good enough? Is that how you convinced her to run away? Tell me!"

Utterly stunned, Obi-Wan was rendered speechless, his mouth held ajar as he stared back at Luke's fiery blue eyes. "Luke, you need to calm down," Leia said.

"Don't tell me to calm down!" Luke said angrily. "You've kidnapped me!"

"Let him go, Luke," Leia demanded, placing her hands on her hips authoritatively.

Giving Leia a withering look, Luke released Obi-Wan with a push. "I want answers and I want them now," he said.

"And we'll give them to you," Leia said as calmly as she could. "But I think you should at least put some clothes on first."

Luke looked down and seemed to notice for the first time that he was wearing nothing but a towel. "That's fair," he said, his cheeks suddenly tinged red with embarrassment. "I uh… I don't have anything to wear, though."

"Follow me, kid," Han said, standing up from the pilot's chair and leading Luke out of the cockpit. When they had gone, Obi-Wan gave Leia a pointed look.

"It was a good idea to take his lightsaber," he said.

"I've never seen him like that," Leia said, still in shock at Luke's fury.

"He is his father's son, I suppose," Obi-Wan said as he turned around to go to the main hold. Leia didn't follow him right away, holding her hand to her forehead as she struggled with a crushing sense of guilt. Everything had happened so fast. She hadn't given any thought to how Luke would feel about being deceived like he had. He had every right to be furious at her.

Yes, defeating the Emperor was important. Nevertheless, Leia couldn't imagine what her life would be like without Luke in it. They were closer than siblings in a way. Over the past three years they had become best friends, closest companions, and greatest allies. Now Leia had jeopardized all of that.

Exhaling loudly, Leia left to cockpit towards the main hold where Obi-Wan was already waiting. A few minutes later, Han and Luke joined them. Luke was wearing a pair of tan pants, high brown boots, and a leather vest. It would have looked good on him had everything not been a size too large. Looking into his face, Leia could tell that Luke wasn't any less angry than he had been a few minutes ago.

"Please sit down, Luke," Leia said before Luke could speak. "You shouldn't be standing up for so long."

Luke opened his mouth to protest, but evidently decided against it. Rubbing his forehead tenderly, Luke crossed the room and sat down by the hologram table. Blinking a few times, Luke looked back up at her.

"Where is my lightsaber?" he asked.

Leia cringed again, knowing that the answer would only make him madder than he already was. "I have it," she said cautiously.

Luke narrowed his eyes angrily. "A thief as well as a kidnapper, I see," he said bitterly. "Mother would be very proud of you, Leia."

Leia glanced at Obi-Wan who was stroking his beard, not making eye contact with Luke. It had been Obi-Wan's idea to take Luke's lightsaber, not hers. Reaching down to her belt, she produced Luke's lightsaber and threw it to him. Surprised, Luke caught it with one hand.

"I'm not a thief," she said quietly.

Luke looked back at her silently for a few moments, clearly perplexed by this move. "Where are we going?" he asked finally.

"To a rendezvous point with the Rebels," she told him. "From there we are going to attempt to confront the Emperor somehow."

"And why did you have to abduct me?" Luke asked.

"Because I need you, Luke," Leia said. "I can't do this alone." Luke remained silent for a few moments, his anger visibly fading. "I didn't mean for you to get hurt, Luke," she said sincerely. "I'm so, so sorry."

"I know you didn't mean for that to happen," Luke said, his eyes down on the hologram table in front of him. "I don't blame you for that."

"Will you help me then?" she asked.

Luke looked up at, his expression unreadable. "I don't seem to have any other choice, do I?" he said.

"You have a choice, Luke," Leia said, speaking spontaneously. "If you want me to turn this ship around, I'll do it."

"Leia!" Obi-Wan exclaimed. "You will do no such thing!"

"Yes I will!" Leia said loudly, turning on Obi-Wan. "I'm not your pawn, Obi-Wan! I am in charge here. I call the shots, not you."

"Is that so?" Obi-Wan asked in a low voice. "Do you think you are more powerful than me?"

"No, but Luke and I together certainly are," she said, nodding to Luke. "And if you haven't noticed, both of us are armed now."

Obi-Wan's eyes widened in outrage. "I am your ally, Leia!" he said. "Don't do this."

"I'm done following your advice," Leia said, taking a step towards him. "You would rather Luke and I were fighting with each other."

"That's not true in the slightest!"

"Yes, it is!" Leia yelled, drowning Obi-Wan's voice out. "Vader was right about you. You're a dogmatic fool, Obi-Wan. You're so desperate for me to be the Chosen One that you're trying to isolate and alienate me from everyone else." Sputtering, Obi-Wan seemed unable to speak so Leia continued her tirade. "Luke and I are a team. I'm not going to let you divide us anymore."

"You're a fool, just like your father," Obi-Wan said in an angry whisper.

Leia snarled at Obi-Wan and took another step forward. "You're the fool, Kenobi," she said ominously. "Now give me your weapon."

"Taking after Vader, are we?" Obi-Wan asked challengingly.

"Give it to me," she said, prodding him in the chest with her index finger. "I'm not going to ask again."

Obi-Wan shook his head at her. "I was wrong about you," he said. "You're Vader's daughter through and through."

"So what if I am?" she said indifferently. "Your weapon. Now."

Bitterly, Obi-Wan reached into his cape. Leia tensed up when he produced his weapon, but Obi-Wan made no aggressive move. Snatching the lightsaber out of his hand, Leia threw it across the room to Luke. "Good move," she whispered to Obi-Wan. Stepping away, the turned her back on him boldly as if to tell him that she no longer perceived him as a threat.

"What do you say, Luke. Shall we return to Ahch-To or continue with the mission?"

Luke looked back at her with a mixture of awe and fear. No doubt, her unexpected coup had come as a shock to him. It had even come as a shock to herself, if she was being honest. The guilt associated with betraying Luke must have caused her to turn on Obi-Wan.

"I, um… I don't know," Luke said, avoiding her gaze. "I want to go back, but I don't think we can anymore."

"Why not?" Leia asked, pleased that Luke hadn't immediately insisted that they return to Ahch-To.

"Dad will probably kill Obi-Wan if we do," Luke said, glancing at Obi-Wan who hadn't moved after relinquishing his weapon. "Besides, if what you told me is true, we're running out of time to defeat the Emperor."

"I agree entirely," Leia said.

"And what will you do with me?" Obi-Wan asked.

Leia turned to him, unsure of how to answer. She certainly wasn't terribly comfortable with the idea of keeping him around, but she knew that they would probably need him in some capacity. Obi-Wan was a Jedi Master with far more experience than either of them combined. Yet she couldn't trust him fully. She was certain that Obi-Wan didn't believe it was wise for Leia to align herself so closely with Luke. He interpreted the Prophecy literally: there could only be one Chosen One.

"You will teach us everything you know about the Sith and how to fight one," she said eventually. "When we reach the rendezvous point, we'll hand you over to the Rebels. I'm sure they'll be able to find some use for you."

"You honestly think you can take on Sidious on your own?" Obi-Wan asked incredulously. "You need my help if you want to stand a chance."

"Please, Obi-Wan," Leia said dismissively. "We saw you fight Vader three years ago. He thoroughly thrashed you."

"That's because he's the most powerful man in the Galaxy!" Obi-Wan exclaimed defensively.

"I'm done talking about this," Leia said definitively. "You can either comply with my wishes, or we'll eject you out into hyperspace in the escape pod." Obi-Wan's mouth fell open in indignation at the blatant disrespect, but he didn't offer an objection. "That's what I thought," Leia said.

* * *

"You're sure there isn't another way?"

Anakin looked away, unable to meet Padmé's tear-filled eyes. "What else would you have me do, Padmé?" he asked.

Padmé sat up from their bed and began pacing in front of him. "Are you sure that you will… that it will cause you to…"

"I can't know for sure," Anakin said as he rubbed his forehead wearily. "As far as I know, it's never been done before."

"So you're saying –"

"Don't get your hopes up, Padmé," he interrupted.

Padmé stopped pacing and turned to look at him, her face wet with tears. The fire crackled cheerily behind her, casting her figure in shadow. "Come here," he said to her, opening his arms wide. Swallowing hard, Padmé walked over to him and sat by his side. Anakin wrapped his arms around her as she placed her head on his chest.

"I don't want you to do it," she said in a whisper. "I can't bear it."

Anakin didn't say anything for a while as he watched the flames in the center of the hut. "You knew it would come to this eventually," he said softly after a long while.

"But it doesn't have to!" Padmé exclaimed, sitting upright and placing her hands on his face and forcing him to look at her. "You don't have to do this!"

"I made a vow, Padmé," he said. "I told your father that I would do anything to keep you and the children safe. That is what you want, isn't it? For our children to be safe?"

Padmé bit her lip and released him, staring off blankly at the wall. "Of course I want that, but –"

"Then I have to do it," Anakin said. When Padmé said nothing, Anakin took a deep breath and tried a new approach. "When you ran away from me twenty-two years ago, I was certain that I would never be able to see you again. I convinced myself that our child had died and that you no longer loved me. My life was absolutely miserable for nearly two decades. For these past three years, I have been happier than I ever knew was possible. I knew that I didn't deserve to be with you after all I had done, but I allowed myself to be happy anyway. But we can't keep living this way, Padmé. It's time for me to return to reality and do what I have to do."

Sniffling, Padmé turned to look at him with bloodshot eyes. "Why couldn't we just be an ordinary family? Why doesn't the Galaxy let us be happy?"

Anakin gave her a sad smile and stroked her hair gently. "Because I am the Chosen One," he said resignedly. "And I must fulfill my destiny." Padmé leaned against his shoulder and cried silently, tears falling down her cheeks and splashing onto Anakin's leg. Anakin wrapped his arm around her again and sighed deeply.

"I want to go with you," she said after a long silence.

"Please don't," Anakin said, closing his eyes tightly. "I won't be able to do it with you there."

"But Ani –"

"Padmé, please," Anakin pleaded. "You have to let me go."

* * *

"Princess Leia, welcome back!"

"It's great to be back, Senator," Leia said, shaking Mothma's hand enthusiastically.

"Luke, welcome back as well," Mothma said, releasing Leia's hand and extending it to Luke. "It's truly wonderful to have both of you back."

"What's our status?" Leia asked, getting straight to business.

"We're holding a briefing in the command room. Why don't you follow me," Mothma said. Allowing Mothma to lead the way, Luke and Leia fell into step behind the venerable Senator. They made their way down a pristine white hallway towards a large, circular room.

"Princess Leia!"

Surprised, Leia looked up to see herself get swarmed by dozens of Rebels, all of whom she had known to varying extents three years ago. Feeling somewhat overwhelmed, Leia shook hand after hand. Vaguely, she noticed that Luke too was getting swarmed by admirers. Evidently, in their absence their reputations had soared to legendary levels.

"Settle down, every one!" came Mothma's voice from somewhere behind her. Finding Luke, Leia grabbed onto his arm and dragged him over towards a bench. The crowd dispersed as well, finding their seats and giving Mothma their full attention.

"The Emperor has made a critical error and the time for our attack has come," Mothma began, her eyes sweeping around the room before honing in on Leia. A projection of a planet emerged on top of a circular table in the center of the room.

"The data brought to us by the Bothan spies pinpoint the exact location of the Emperor's new battle station. We also know that the weapons systems of this new Death Star are not yet operational. With the Imperial Fleet spread throughout the Galaxy in a vain effort to engage us, it is relatively unprotected. But most important of all, we've learned that the Emperor himself is personally overseeing the final stages of the construction of the Death Star." A whisper rippled around the room at this piece of information.

"Many Bothans died to bring us this information," Mothma said morosely, seemingly oblivious to the commotion she had caused. "Admiral Ackbar, please," she said, stepping aside.

"You can see here, the Death Star orbiting the forest moon of Endor," Ackbar said, stepping forward to where Mothma had just been standing. "Although the weapon systems on this Death Star are not yet operational, the Death Star does have a strong defense mechanism. It is protected by an energy shield which is generated from the nearby forest moon of Endor. The shield must be deactivated if any attack is to be attempted."

Luke leaned in to whisper in Leia's ear. "We can't let them attack," he told her.

"Why not?" Leia asked, looking away from Ackbar.

"There could be a million innocent people on that station," Luke said. "Besides, they don't stand a chance against that station."

"What are you saying?" she asked.

"We need to get on that station first. If we kill the Emperor, nobody else has to die."

Leia pursed her lips and looked back towards the front of the room where a general she didn't recognize was now speaking. "The Empire won't just surrender, Luke," she said. "Even if we manage to kill the Emperor."

"How do you know that?"

Leia didn't answer him. The presentation had ended and everyone was standing up and moving to their respective stations. "What was the point in coming here if we aren't going to take on the Emperor?" Luke asked her.

"Wouldn't you rather he die without having to face him directly?" Leia countered.

"Not if it means a million innocent people die as well! Besides, I doubt the Rebels will be able to destroy the Death Star if the Emperor's alive anyway. He'll be able to protect it somehow."

"But how are we even going to get there, Luke? It's not as if we can just fly up to the Death Star and request to see the Emperor."

Stumped by this point, Luke frowned and looked away. "What if we steal a vessel on Endor?" Luke said suddenly. "That way we could sneak up to the Death Star undetected."

Leia considered this proposition for a moment. "It's risky," she said. "There are so many ways it could go wrong."

"Since when were you the cautious one?" Luke asked provocatively. "I thought the whole reason we are here was because you thought Father was too cautious."

Leia gave Luke a sharp look. "Alright, fine," she said. "We can try it. But I don't think it's going to work."

"Oh, it'll work," Luke said confidently. "I know it will."


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

After getting permission to join the assault squad to Endor, Luke and Leia returned to the Falcon which was parked in the small hangar on the Rebel cruiser. "Where's Obi-Wan?" Leia asked when they entered the main hold to see a bored-looking Han lounged out on his chair by the technical station.

"In the cockpit," Han said languidly. "He's pretty pissed off at you guys still."

"Could you ask him to join us?" Luke asked. "Leia and I need to get changed."

"Into what?" Han asked, getting to his feet.

"Our uniforms," Luke said excitedly, holding up a set of folded clothes. "I can finally get out of these ridiculous things."

"Hey!" Han exclaimed. "Those are my clothes you're besmirching, kid."

"Whatever," Luke said, brimming with excitement. "Be right back." Leia followed Luke out of the main hold and down the hallway. Taking a right into the guest room, Leia threw off her dirty robes and changed into the uniform the Rebels had provided her. Frowning in the mirror at the ridiculously large camouflaged poncho, Leia heard a knock at the door.

"Come in," she said.

Opening the door, Luke walked in, a huge grin on his face. He was already wearing his uniform. "Looks cool, right?" he said.

"That's not the adjective I would use," Leia muttered. "How are we going to be able to fight in these ridiculous things?"

"Oh, it'll be fine," Luke said, waving his hand. "Besides, we can take the ponchos off later."

Deciding that this ought to be the least of her concerns, Leia picked up her helmet off the bed and followed Luke towards the main hold. There they encountered a disgruntled Obi-Wan sitting on the bench by the hologram table. Han was standing across the room, clearly not knowing what to do with himself. When they entered, Obi-Wan looked up briefly and refused to make eye contact with either of them.

"We have a job for you, Obi-Wan," Leia said, crossing her arms in front of her. "If you're willing, that is."

"What's that?" Obi-Wan asked, his eyes fixated on the table in front of him.

"Luke and I are going with the Rebels to Endor," Leia said. "We want you to come with us."

"What's on Endor?" Han asked.

"A shield generator," Luke told him. "The Empire is using it to defend the Death Star while its weapon systems are not operational."

Obi-Wan scratched his nose and looked up. "What would I do?' he asked bitterly.

"We need you to cover us," Leia said. "Luke and I are going to try and steal an Imperial vessel to get up onto the Death Star."

Obi-Wan narrowed his eyes as he looked back at her suspiciously. "And what if I refuse?" he challenged.

Leia shrugged nonchalantly. "We can manage without you, although if you really want to defeat the Emperor you would put aside your feelings and help us."

Indignant, Obi-Wan looked away. "You will need my help against the Emperor," he said.

"I disagree," Leia replied. "You will be more helpful to the Rebels on Endor."

His jaw clenched angrily, Obi-Wan didn't speak for a moment. "Fine," he said finally. "But you should know I'm not happy about this arrangement."

"Believe me, we know," Leia said, rolling her eyes. Leia then turned to Han. "Do you want to come with us?" she asked.

Han raised his eyebrows at the offer. "Me?" he said incredulously. "I don't know –"

"I want you to come," Leia said, although she wasn't sure why.

"You do?" Han asked, clearly surprised. "Oh… well, okay then."

"Great," Leia said quickly, suddenly feeling embarrassed. "You should probably shave first," she added, no longer making eye contact with him. "It's protocol, you know."

"Oh, yeah," Han said. "Of course, sure. No problem." When he didn't move, Luke gave him a pointed look. "Right now?"

"Yes, now!" Luke said, sounding more amused than angry. Nodding, Han turned and left in a hurry.

Recovering from her inexplicable bout of embarrassment, Leia shook her head and turned back to Obi-Wan. Considering him for a few moments, Leia reached down to her belt but was impeded by the damned poncho. Growling irritably, she held the flap up and awkwardly managed to produce Obi-Wan's lightsaber.

"Here you go," she said, throwing the weapon back to its owner. "You'll be needing that."

Catching it, Obi-Wan looked back at her curiously. "You are a very unusual woman, Princess Leia," he said as he reattached his lightsaber to his own belt.

"What is that supposed to mean?" she asked sharply.

Obi-Wan stroked his chin silently for a moment. "You are both very much like your parents," he said, glancing at Luke as well. "You are both clearly Padmé's children. But whereas Luke takes after Anakin, you take after your father's other persona: Vader."

Leia frowned, unsure whether or not she should be indignant at this assessment. She was saved, however, by Han's return. "That was absurdly fast," Luke said.

"You never said I had to do a good job," Han said gruffly. Looking at his face, Leia could see he was covered in cuts and bumps from the hastily performed shave. His uncouth beard was gone, however. It looked as if he had cut his hair as well. Much to Leia's chagrin, she couldn't help but admit he looked much better. He really was quite handsome…

"Are we ready to roll?" Han asked, looking directly at her.

"Huh? Oh… yeah, let's go," she stammered.

* * *

"There has been a disturbance in the Force," Darth Sidious said to his servant. "Have you felt it?"

"I have, my Master."

Sidious closed his eyes and contemplated the rupture in the Darkness. A brilliant ray of light now pierced through, blinding Sidious with its intensity. Who could be the source of such power?

"Could it be… Vader, my Lord?"

"Don't be a fool," Sidious snarled, opening his eyes and glaring at his young servant. "Vader has no light left in him."

"Then who –"

"Silence!" Sidious barked. Grasping the armrests of his chair, Sidious looked down and thought. The last Jedi in the Galaxy was Kenobi who couldn't possibly account for this level of power. Then who could it possibly be? Was it possible that Anakin Skywalker had returned? He had thought that he had successfully purged the light from the so-called Chosen One long ago. But how else could he explain Vader's miraculous disappearance?

"I want you to go to Endor," Sidious ordered. "I want you to uncover the source of this disturbance."

"Yes, my Master," his servant said with a deep bow. "I won't fail you."

* * *

Anakin woke up early the next morning, having been unable to sleep well that night. Rolling over, he could tell that the sun had only just risen based on the faint ray of light peeking through the bottom of the door to the hut. Taking a deep breath, Anakin rolled over again. Lying on his back, he stared blankly at the ceiling for a few moments.

Next to him, Padmé was mercifully still asleep. She was curled up next to him, instinctively seeking his warmth in the early morning chill. Anakin looked at the top of her head and absently rubbed her back with his left arm. Looking away, Anakin bit his tongue hard and tried to sit up. Padmé stirred, however, causing Anakin to freeze. She couldn't wake up. If she did, he would have to say goodbye all over again…

Secretly glad that he had an excuse to stay in bed a little longer, Anakin remained motionless. After a few minutes, he regained his courage and made another attempt to get up. Gently removing Padmé's hand from his chest, he slipped out of the bed silently. Padmé made a soft groan when he left, but she was clearly still asleep.

Anakin stood over the bed motionlessly for a minute, absorbing every detail of Padmé's face. Rationally, he understood that he hadn't deserved the past three years with her. That way, it theoretically would have made it easier to leave. It was as if he had been in a dream for all this time and he had finally woken up to reality. This logic didn't work, however. His feet were still stuck to the dirt floor, unable to move. Unable to turn away from her for the last time. Unable to do what had to be done.

How he wanted to slip back into bed and back into that dream. He didn't want to have to wake up! He didn't want to have to face reality. But Luke and Leia's lives were at stake. If he truly loved Padmé, he would turn away from her right now and save her children. So why couldn't he do it?

Perhaps Leia was right. Maybe he didn't actually love Padmé, but was merely obsessed with her. In retrospect, this was undeniably true when he had first met her. After all, he had barely known her when they had gotten married. Had he simply been infatuated with her and not truly in love?

Feeling frustrated, Anakin rubbed his temples and started pacing about the hut, taking great care to keep his footsteps as quiet as possible. How could he think that? Of course he loved her! His entire life revolved around her and everything he had ever done as an adult had been with her in mind.

So that was why he had to leave her now. The most important thing in the Galaxy to Padmé was not him, but her children. Anakin had known this from the moment she had spread her arms out to defend them from him on Corsin three years ago. He had to make sure that they survived. He had to do this for Padmé's sake.

He stopped pacing and took a deep breath. Picking up his cloak from the back of a chair and wrapping it around his shoulders, he turned to face Padmé one last time. She looked so peaceful in bed, totally oblivious to his anguish. With a monumental effort, Anakin tore his eyes away from her and moved to the door. He grabbed the handle with his mechanical hand and paused. Every fiber of his being protested with what he was about to do. His arm began to shake and he felt the metal of the handle begin to crumple under his ironclad grip. Wrenching the door open, Anakin threw himself out of the hut before he lost his resolve. Closing the door behind him, Anakin closed his eyes and exhaled loudly. He had done it. He had left her.

* * *

"Look! There's a shuttle up there."

Having landed on Endor with the strike team, Luke, Leia, and Obi-Wan had slipped away with Han's help. Now they were crouched behind a rock looking up at the elevated hangar by the shield generator.

"But how are we going to get there?" Leia asked.

"What do you mean? The entrance is right there," Luke said, gesturing to the elevator in front of them.

"We'll be detected, Luke," Leia said, rolling her eyes at her brother's naiveté.

"Not necessarily," Luke said optimistically.

"The place is probably crawling with Stormtroopers," Leia said. "We wouldn't stand a chance."

"I have an idea. You two wait here," Obi-Wan said suddenly.

"Where are you going?" Leia hissed as Obi-Wan stood up and stepped out from behind the rock. Obi-Wan didn't answer her, however, and slipped away towards the base.

"I don't like this," Leia murmured as Obi-Wan disappeared from sight.

"Me neither," Luke said. "But let's give him a chance." Unable to come up with an alternative, Leia waited for Obi-Wan to return, becoming increasingly impatient with each passing minute. Frustrated, she opened her mouth to say something but Luke held up his hand.

"I sense something," he whispered. "I think someone is watching us."

Leia froze and tried to detect what Luke was sensing. "I don't sense anything –"

A sudden flash of red caused Leia to dive out of the way. Rolling on her back, Leia sprung back to her feet elegantly and drew her lightsaber. In front of her, she saw that Luke too had drawn his weapon and was dueling with a veiled man wielding two red lightsabers. Having never faced an opponent with more than one weapon before, Leia hesitated briefly before jumping into the fray.

During her brief moment of deliberation, the mysterious man had kicked Luke in the chest, sending him flying. Jumping forward, Leia swung down while the man was looking the other way. Without looking at her, the man parried Leia's blow with their right lightsaber and pivoted with lightning speed towards her, swinging the lightsaber in their left hand at Leia's head. Ducking, Leia rolled past her opponent and jumped back upright by Luke's side.

"Who are you?" Luke asked as their mysterious opponent branded their weapons menacingly at their side.

"You first," they said in a feminine voice. Leia raised her eyebrows in surprise.

"You're a woman?" she asked, trying to see her face under the cowl.

Growling, the woman suddenly leapt at Leia, both of her lightsabers held over her head. Luke's green blade intercepted the dual assault, allowing Leia to back out. Bending her knees, Leia leapt into the air and flipped over both Luke and the attacker. As she landed she swung her blue blade at the woman's feet, who only just managed to evade the strike.

Taking advantage of her momentary imbalance, Luke swung hard and pushed her down to the ground. Luke targeted a kick at her arm but the woman managed to roll away just in time. As she jumped to her feet, however, Leia pushed her back again using the Force, sending her flying into the rock. Evidently unfazed by this, she jumped back up and faced them again.

"Who are you?" she asked them.

Luke glanced at Leia, clearly unsure if he should answer. Leia shook her head, deciding it was a bad idea to engage their attacker. She was undeniably some sort of Dark Side user.

"Vader trained you, didn't he?" she asked.

"What do you know about Vader?" Leia asked, her eyes widening with surprise.

"Is he your master?" she asked, ignoring Leia's question.

"What does it matter to you?" Luke said, puffing his chest out and lowering his lightsaber slightly.

"Vader is my nemesis," she growled. "I seek to destroy him."

"Why? What did he ever do to you?" Luke asked.

"Enough questions," she said irritably. "Tell me who you are right now or I will kill you."

"You couldn't kill us if you tried," Leia retorted provocatively.

Snarling, the woman leapt forward once again, this time swinging one blade at both of them. She expertly fought off both of them for a few moments before spinning away from Leia and engaging Luke with both of her blades. Caught off guard by the rapid assault, Luke fell down to the ground and held his lightsaber in front of him. Panicking, Leia jumped at the woman but was pushed back with the Force and landed with a thud several yards away.

"Tell me your name!" she heard the woman shriek at Luke. Outraged at his silence, the woman struck down at him with her right lightsaber. Luke managed to absorb the blow with his green blade, but was unable to repel her. The woman pushed down hard, bringing Luke's own weapon inches away from his throat. Winded, Leia was unable to move…

A hooded figure suddenly leapt over Leia and kicked the woman away from Luke. Brandishing a blue lightsaber which Leia recognized at once, Obi-Wan began dueling with a skill she had never thought imaginable from the old man. Finally able to get to her feet, Leia rushed forward to assist Obi-Wan but she found that there was little for her to do. Having disarmed her of her left lightsaber, Obi-Wan kneed the woman directly in the gut. Doubling over, Leia saw her opportunity and swung down at the woman's right lightsaber, decapitating the weapon at the hilt.

On her knees, the woman's cowl finally fell away revealing a young red-haired woman with a spattering of freckles on her pale cheeks. "Skywalker," she said acrimoniously, looking up at Obi-Wan's still hooded face with a snarl.

Obi-Wan snorted and shook his head. "I'll take that as a compliment," he said, sounding somewhat out of breath. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Luke get to his feet and pick up the woman's other lightsaber. "But alas, no. I am Kenobi," Obi-Wan said.

Scowling, the woman looked sideways at Leia. "Are these your pupils?" she asked. "Training another generation of Jedi, are you?"

"You are in no position to ask questions," Obi-Wan said in a steely voice. "Tell us who you are now." Instead of responding, the woman gave Obi-Wan a murderous look and spat on his shoe. Outraged, Obi-Wan reared back to slap her but Luke grabbed his arm.

"Ben, no!" he yelled. "Don't hurt her." Incredulous, Obi-Wan nonetheless accepted Luke's demand and lowered his arm.

"I'd rather die than talk to you, Kenobi," the woman said savagely.

"We can arrange that," Leia said darkly, pointing her lightsaber at the woman's chin.

"Leia, stop!" Luke said, releasing Obi-Wan's arm and stepping towards the woman. "She might be able to help us."

"Is that what you think, pretty boy?" she said to Luke.

"Yes, I do," Luke said, unfazed by the woman's vitriolic tone. "Would you at least tell us your name?"

The woman hesitated, clearly disarmed by Luke's genuineness. "Mara," she said in a less bellicose voice. "Mara Jade."

"Do you serve the Emperor, Mara?" Luke asked.

"I do," she said, narrowing her eyes at Luke.

"Sidious took a new apprentice?" Obi-Wan asked.

"No," she said bitterly, her face contorted in rage. "He doesn't think I'm good enough to be his apprentice. He says only Vader is worthy of that title."

"I see," Obi-Wan said, only now lowering his weapon. "Perhaps he hopes Vader will return to him someday."

"Fat chance of that," Leia muttered, keeping her eyes on Mara. "What should we do with her?" she asked.

"Can you take us to the Emperor?" Luke asked.

"And why would I do that?"

"Because you resent him," Luke said, taking another step forward. "He doesn't respect your abilities."

"How dare you speak ill of my master!" Mara spat viciously, causing Luke to jump back a step. "Darth Sidious is as wise as he is powerful! I can respect his wishes even if I don't agree with them."

"That's not true, is it?" Luke said. "I can sense the conflict within you."

"Conflict? I have no conflict."

"Then prove it," Luke said, dropping her lightsaber down to the ground in front of her. "Strike me down in your master's name."

"Luke, what are you doing!" Leia exclaimed.

Luke ignored her, looking back at Mara intently. "Go on," he said. "I am defenseless."

Eyes wide, Mara reached down and picked up her lightsaber. "Who are you?" she asked, seemingly in awe of this gesture.

"My name is Luke Skywalker," he said. "And I am not your enemy, Mara."

Convinced that Luke had lost his mind, Leia gripped her lightsaber tightly and prepared to strike Mara down if she made any movement. She remained totally still, however, turning her lightsaber over in her hand as she stared back at Luke in wonderment. "You're Vader's son?" she asked.

"No," Luke said. "I am Anakin Skywalker's son."

"Same difference," Mara said.

"Not to me," Luke said. Mara and Luke were silent for a few moments as Leia held her breath. What was Luke doing? Did he really think he could turn Mara into an ally after she had just tried to kill him?

"Bring us to your master," Luke said, breaking the silence after about a minute. "That's why you're here in the first place, isn't it? To collect us?"

"Do you think you will be able to kill him?" Mara asked.

"Why, do you want to help us?" Luke said.

Mara laughed humorlessly. "You don't stand a chance, Luke Skywalker," she said. "If you couldn't defeat me by yourself, you won't be able to defeat Darth Sidious."

"Perhaps not," Luke said. "Will you bring us to him?"

Mara glanced down at the weapon in her hands. "I'll take you but not your friends," she said, nodding at Obi-Wan and Leia.

"Leia is coming with me," Luke said, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "That is nonnegotiable."

"Is she your girlfriend?" Mara asked.

"Why should you care?" Luke countered.

"I don't," she said nonchalantly. "Just curious." Leia raised her eyebrows in surprise. What was going on? Was Mara… flirting with Luke? Leia felt a sudden urge to kick at Mara if that was indeed the case.

Perhaps sensing her irritation, Luke looked up at Leia and gave her a warning look. "Leia is my sister," he said. "She and I are going to confront the Emperor and put an end to this war."

"Is that so?" Mara said skeptically. "How noble of you."

"Will you take us to him?" Luke asked for the third time.

Mara scrutinized Luke's face curiously for a few moments before speaking, her eyes darting back in forth with nauseating rapidity. "Very well," she said finally, glancing at Leia as well who was still eyeing Mara with intense suspicion. "I will take you to my master. But make no mistake, Skywalker. He will destroy you and your sister if you attempt to kill him."

"We'll see about that," Luke said.


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Discarding their ponchos in favor of black Imperial uniforms which Obi-Wan had managed to steal off of a couple of guards at the base, Luke and Leia followed Mara Jade towards the hangar. Leia watched Mara suspiciously as they made the ascent on the elevator. Why was she helping them like this? Perhaps she thought that they posed so little of a threat to the Emperor that she didn't even have to bother disarming them. Either way, Leia didn't like any of this.

With Mara's high level of clearance, they had no problem reaching the hangar. All of the Imperials seemed to shy away from Mara when she passed by. "This is my personal shuttle," Mara said, pointing to a sleek looking black vessel.

"Nice ride," Luke said as he admired the Imperial design. Leia gave Luke a sharp look. What had gotten in to him? Did he not remember that this woman had just tried to kill him?

Mara ignored this comment and led them towards the on ramp. Only when they entered the vessel did Mara finally turn around to face them. She looked at Leia from head to toe with a curious expression.

"What are you looking at?" Leia asked defensively, unnerved by the unexpected scrutiny.

"That uniform doesn't fit you at all," Mara said

"It's not like we had a lot of choices. Obi-Wan had to –"

"I'll give you something else to wear," Mara interrupted. "We're roughly the same size." Surprised, Leia didn't know what to say. "I hope you like leather," she added as she turned around and walked away.

Leia gave Luke an incredulous look, but he didn't seem to find anything strange about the situation. He seemed too enraptured with the ship to pay much attention to anything else. Leia followed Luke down the hallway towards the cockpit of the shuttle.

"Wow!" Luke said, admiring the control panel with a boyish grin.

"Luke, stop. You're embarrassing yourself," Leia said.

"I take it you're not a pilot?" Spinning around, Leia saw Mara watching her from the doorway. Receiving no reply, Mara stepped forward and handed Leia a folded outfit. Taking the clothes, Leia unfolded them and raised an eyebrow.

"You don't have anything less… skimpy?" she asked.

"What do you mean?" Mara asked.

"Never mind," Leia said quickly, realizing she wasn't in any position to negotiate. There was no way she could fight in an imperial uniform which was three sizes too big for her. She would have to make do with this outfit. "Where can I get changed?" she asked.

Mara gave her directions to the bathroom and stepped aside. Leia glanced once at Luke before leaving, unsure if it was a good idea to leave him by himself. Deciding that he was probably fine for now, she left down the hallway.

A few minutes later, Leia was feeling slightly ridiculous as she stared at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. Mara had given her a sleeveless black leather jumpsuit with a wide, largely ornamental belt. It was a tight fit, squeezing uncomfortably around her waist. She had never worn anything like this before. No doubt, her mother would not have approved of her wearing this.

Overcoming her discomfort, Leia left the bathroom and returned to the cockpit where Mara was beginning the ignition process. When Mara heard Leia return, she turned around and clicked her tongue. "Lookin' good, girl," she said.

"I feel ridiculous," Leia said to Luke.

"You look fine," Luke said, spinning around in the copilot's chair. "I think it looks cool."

Leia clenched her jaw and glanced at Mara. "Why are you doing this?" she asked her. "Why are you helping us?"

"The Emperor will want to see you," she said with a shrug. "There's no point in killing you now."

"Then why are you playing dress up with me?" Leia asked.

"Did you really want to wear that massive uniform?" Mara asked with a frown. "You could be a little more grateful, you know."

"It just seems a little odd that you're being so cordial with us given that we're supposed to be enemies," Leia said.

Mara stood up from her chair and approached her. "I don't have enemies, only targets," Mara said in a low voice. "I find you two intriguing and so I've decided not to kill you. That's all there is to this."

"I don't think that's true," Leia said, refusing to shy away from Mara who was now just a foot away from her. "If you really considered Sidious as your master you would have disarmed us first."

"You don't pose a threat to Sidious whether you're armed or not," Mara said with a smirk.

"I think you underestimate us," Leia said. "We are Vader's children, after all."

Mara snarled at her and turned around. "You are powerful, but untrained," Mara said as she walked back towards the pilot's chair. "Sidious will destroy you without even drawing his lightsaber."

Leia opened her mouth, but Mara snapped her fingers. "Enough talking," she said without looking at Leia.

They made the journey to the Death Star in a tense silence. Leia's heart began to hammer painfully in her chest as they approached. The more she thought about things, the more likely it seemed that she wouldn't make it out of this alive. Even if by some miracle they did manage to kill the Emperor, they would still have to deal with Mara somehow. And even if they succeeded, they would still have to get off the Death Star before the Rebels came to destroy it. These gargantuan tasks would be made exponentially easier if Mara was at their side, but Leia wasn't counting on it despite her strangely generous behavior towards them.

Leia swallowed hard as the Death Star grew larger in the window. She could sense Luke's growing anxiety as well as he was tapping his foot nervously on the ground. After getting the clear to land, Mara guided the ship into the hangar. "You two follow me," she said, unstrapping herself from the pilot's seat. "Don't try to pull anything, got it?"

Luke and Leia both nodded. Leia's mouth felt dry and she didn't trust herself to speak. They silently followed Mara off the ship and out of the hangar. She led them down a maze of hallways deep into the massive battle station.

Turning yet another corner, they encountered a slimy looking Imperial officer. "Mistress Jade," he said as they approached. "Who are these people?"

"Get out of my way, scum," Mara said viciously as she continued to march on. When the officer didn't move, Mara flicked her wrist and sent him flying into the wall where he slid to the ground, unconscious. Leia gave Luke a concerned look, disconcerted by this unexpected outburst.

"Carry on," Mara said, sensing their fear. "We are close."

Giving the unconscious Imperial officer one last side glance, Leia continued after Mara, having to jog a bit to catch up to her. Finally, they reached an elevator at the end of the hall. "The Emperor is upstairs," Mara told them. Beginning to shake with a mixture of fear and anticipation, Leia followed Mara into the elevator.

"Are you ready?" she whispered to Luke as the elevator began rising.

"As ready as I'll ever be," Luke responded in a high voice as he fumbled with his collar nervously.

The elevator came to a stop on the top floor. Once the doors opened with a hiss, Mara strode out confidently, passing a couple of Royal Guards on her way. Luke and Leia both hesitated briefly before following her towards a set of stairs leading up to a platform. A large circular window dominated the far end of the room, and directly in front of window was a black chair facing the opposite direction.

Mara came to a stop several feet in front of the chair. Luke and Leia lingered behind her a couple of steps, both holding their hands cautiously over lightsabers.

"Mara, you have returned," came a gravelly voice from the chair. "Tell me what have you learned."

"I uncovered the source of the disturbance, my master," Mara said, bowing her head reverently.

The chair began to spin around. Leia inhaled sharply as she laid eyes on the Emperor. While he was wearing a hood, she could see his decrepit face quite clearly. His skin was pale and mutilated, creased with scars and wrinkles. The most jarring feature however was his eyes, which were an evil yellow.

"Leave us," he ordered to the Royal Guards who obediently turned and departed from the room.

"This is Luke and Leia Skywalker," Mara said, gesturing behind her. "They are Vader's children."

The Emperor was silent for a few moments as he stared at Luke and Leia incredulously. Slowly, he got up from his chair and approached. Mara stepped aside, allowing the Emperor to investigate them closely. Leia tensed up as Sidious stopped a few feet in front of them.

"So you are responsible for taking my apprentice from me," he said. "He abandoned me for you."

Leia and Luke glanced at each other, both surprised by the Emperor's tone. It was almost as if he felt betrayed by Vader's decision to abandon him. As if he had been personally hurt by it.

"Where is he?" Sidious asked. "Where is Vader?"

"Gone," Luke said bravely. "He will never return to you, Sidious."

The Emperor narrowed his eyes as he turned to look at Luke. "Vader is mine. He belongs to me," he said.

"Our father is free from you," Luke said. "And soon, the Galaxy will be free from you as well."

Sidious cackled in amusement and turned away from Luke. "Do you seek to kill me?" he asked with his back to them.

"Yes," Luke responded simply, drawing his weapon and igniting it. Leia followed his example and brandished her lightsaber in her right hand.

"Did Vader send you?" Sidious asked. "Was he too craven to face me himself?"

Luke hesitated, unsure how to answer so Leia spoke instead. "Vader is not our master," she said. "We don't follow his orders."

Sidious turned around and looked at her curiously. "I sense great anger in you, young Skywalker," he said to her. "You resent your father."

Leia's face twitched but she made no response, electing instead to raise her lightsaber and adopt an offensive posture.

"Join me, and together we can destroy Vader," Sidious said. "Join me, and obtain a power greater than any Vader could teach you."

"I don't seek power," Leia said. "I seek your death."

Sidious gave her a sickly smile. "Very good," he said, holding his hands up at his sides. "Use your hatred to make you stronger."

Confused, Leia lowered her weapon a fraction. Was he asking her to kill him? Was he not going to defend himself? Could this be some kind of a trap?

Deciding that this was her best chance, Leia swung at the Emperor suddenly only to be blocked by Mara's red blade. Mara pushed Leia back as Sidious cackled in the background. "Good, good!" Sidious said. "Feel the hate flow through you!"

"Mara, don't do this," Luke said urgently, raising his own weapon as well as Leia and Mara's blades crackled at the point where they met. "You don't have to serve him."

Mara shook her head at Luke. "You can either swear fealty to him or I kill you," she said. "It's a simple choice, Luke."

Luke sighed and gave Mara a sad look. "So be it," he said. Lunging at her with his lightsaber over his head, Mara separated from Leia quickly and blocked Luke's strike. Seizing an opportunity, Leia swung at Mara's exposed back but missed as Mara spun away. Backing up a few feet, Mara looked back and forth between Luke and Leia.

"I don't want to have to kill you," she said.

"Neither do we," Luke said as he swung upwards. Mara parried the strike and only just jumped away from Leia's blade in time which had been targeted at her legs. Counterattacking, Mara leapt towards Leia and swung hard at her flank. Absorbing the powerful blows with difficulty, Leia was forced to back up. Luke stepped in on her behalf and swung at Mara's right shoulder. Mara evaded this attack easily and elbowed Luke hard in the back sending him tumbling to the floor.

Shocked at how easily Mara had disposed of Luke, Leia went on the offensive once again and pushed Mara away from her prone brother. Mara was too quick for her, however, and had soon regained the momentum and was forcing Leia back towards Luke who was only now struggling to his feet. Rejoining the fray, Luke blocked one of Mara's strikes which had nearly grazed Leia's shoulder. Clearly frustrated by their coordination, Mara growled and kicked at Leia's shin but missed.

"You can't beat us, Mara," Luke said, breathing heavily.

Mara lowered her weapon slightly. "Not the both of you," she conceded. "But I can defeat you individually." With lightning quickness, Mara raised her hand and sent Leia flying across the room, where she landed with a painful thud at the feet of the stairs. Wincing, Leia struggled to get up. Up the stairs, she saw Luke dueling with Mara. Luke was clearly out of his league, struggling to keep up with Mara's rapid blows and strikes. With a nifty move, Mara forced Luke's blade away and sliced down hard at Luke's hand.

A shriek of pain accompanied by a soft thud confirmed that the unimaginable had happened. "Luke!" Leia screamed, but she was too far away to help. Mara glanced at Leia for a moment before calling Luke's discarded weapon to her hand. Trembling, Luke fell to his knees before Mara and held his mutilated right arm to his chest.

"Mara, don't –" Luke said pathetically. Mara hesitated, holding the red and green blade over her head. Capitalizing on her brief moment of hesitation, Leia jumped to her feet and leapt up the stairs in a single bound. Shocked, Mara only just managed to deflect Leia's blade. Furious, Leia attacked with a tenacity she had never before experienced. Leia could only think of keeping Mara as far away from Luke as possible, and so she pushed her back with blow after blow until her back was barely feet away from the Emperor who had returned to his chair. With a scream, Leia sliced Mara's red blade in two at the hilt and kicked her hard in the stomach, causing her to drop Luke's weapon to the ground. Calling the familiar weapon to her hand, Leia crossed both blades in front of Mara's throat.

"Good. Very, good," Sidious said from his throne. "You're anger gives you strength, young Skywalker. Now, strike her down and assume your rightful place by my side."

Breathing heavily, Leia stared into Mara's face furiously. She desperately wanted to kill her, to make her feel the pain she had just inflicted on Luke. Nevertheless, she wasn't able to do it. She could sense the conflict within Mara now, just as Luke had done. She hadn't killed Luke even though she easily could have on more than one occasion. Mara wasn't her enemy, Sidious was.

Leia looked up at Sidious who was staring back at her hungrily. He wanted her to do this. He wanted her to succumb to her anger and kill Mara. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction. Lowering the lightsabers, Leia looked back down at Mara who was looking at her with a mixture of terror and surprise. "I won't kill you, Mara," Leia said. Extinguishing the green lightsaber in her hand, Leia threw it aside back towards Luke. With her now free hand, she lifted Mara suddenly with the Force and threw her across the room where she landed hard against the railing, unconscious.

"Are you too afraid to fight me yourself?" she asked Sidious, stepping forward with her blue lightsaber held with both hands in front of her.

"I don't need to fight with that which belongs to me," he said, making no move to stand up.

"I don't belong to you!" Leia said loudly.

"Vader belongs to me," Sidious said with a growl. "And so do his children."

"You're wrong," Leia said. "I will never turn."

"Young fool," Sidious said lazily. "Perhaps you will after you appreciate the true power of the dark side." Sidious suddenly held up his hands and sent a blast of blue lightning at Leia. Caught off guard, Leia was thrown backwards, her lightsaber flying out of her hand when she hit the ground. The pain was excruciating! Tendrils of electricity wrapped around her limbs and squeezed brutally. Leia screamed in pain, pleading desperately for it to end…

"Join me, and together we can rule the galaxy," Sidious said, having stood up from his chair. The lightning had finally stopped, but the pain continued to linger. Leia scooted away from Sidious in a desperate attempt to get away from him.

"I'll never join you!" she yelled, searching frantically on the ground for her lightsaber.

Sidious snarled at her and raised his hands once again. "Then you will die," he said. Closing her eyes, Leia prepared for a second round of lightning, but the pain never came. Surprised, Leia opened her eyes to see a stunned Sidious staring at something behind her.

Turning her head around to see what Sidious was looking at, Leia gasped in shock when she saw who was standing at the top of the stairs.

"Get away from my daughter," Anakin Skywalker said. "You evil son of a bitch."


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Capitalizing on Sidious' paralytic shock, Leia rolled away and jumped to her feet. The Emperor didn't seem to register this, however, as he continued to stare back at his former apprentice with a stunned expression.

"Lord Vader," he said finally, his eyes narrowed with contempt.

"I renounced that name," Anakin said, taking a step forward. Leia continued to back away, reaching down and picking up her discarded lightsaber as she did. "I am Anakin Skywalker once more."

"So this is how you repay me?" Sidious said bitterly. "After all I did for you?"

"After all you did for me?" Anakin repeated incredulously. "You ruined my life!"

"I made you into who you were destined to become!" Sidious screeched. "The most powerful man in the history of the galaxy!"

Leia turned her back on the two and ran towards Luke who had keeled over on the ground next to Mara. "Luke, are you okay?" she asked, helping him into a sitting position.

"Is Father here?" he asked weakly, looking beyond Leia with a distant expression.

Leia turned around to see what was happening. "You took my wife and children away from me for nineteen years, Sidious," Anakin said, now only a meter away from the Emperor. "You destroyed all that was important to me. For that, you deserve to die."

"Luke, I need to get you out of here," Leia said urgently to Luke.

"No, you have to help Father."

"He'll be fine, we need to –" Leia stopped when she heard the sound of a lightsaber swing through the air. Turning around, she saw that the Emperor had finally drawn his weapon and was advancing on Anakin. Anakin for his part had not drawn his lightsaber and was instead evading Sidious' blows with apparent ease.

"You can't defeat me," Anakin said as he backed away slowly, Sidious' lightsaber inches away from his nose. "Your powers are pathetic compared to my own."

"I didn't teach you everything, my young apprentice," Sidious said with a smirk. Lowering his lightsaber, Sidious sent a blast of lightning towards Anakin with his left hand, yet Anakin jumped out of the way and avoided the salvo.

"Leia, you have to help him," Luke said, pushing her away with his left hand. Nodding, Leia stood up and drew her lightsaber.

"You are mine, Darth Vader," Sidious said angrily as the two began circling each other. "You are my master's creation!"

Anakin frowned at this comment. "What do you mean?" he asked.

Sidious laughed humorlessly. "Darth Plagueis was responsible for spawning you in your mother's womb," he said. "You were his experiment, and now that he is dead, you belong to me!"

"I am nobody's slave," Anakin said with a snarl.

Bellowing in rage, Sidious sent another round of lightning at Anakin but missed once again as Anakin rolled away. Jumping back to his feet, Anakin looked past Sidious to see Leia approaching. Anakin shook his head subtly, causing Leia to come to a stop.

"You sicken me, Skywalker," Sidious said contemptuously. "We granted you power beyond measure, yet you squandered them lusting after that whore Amidala."

Anakin tensed up visibly and clenched his jaw. "You're wrong," he said through gritted teeth.

"You are weak, Skywalker!" Sidious yelled. "Your infatuation for that woman has compromised your powers."

"Then strike me down," Anakin said, holding his hands out wide at his sides. "Prove to me the power of the dark side and destroy me."

"I will," Sidious said lowly as he raised his lightsaber above his shoulder. Anakin made no move, watching Sidious unblinkingly. Leia felt frozen to the spot, unsure of what to do. Suddenly, Sidious swung down at Anakin with a shriek.

"No!" Leia screamed, but Sidious' blade had no effect on Anakin as it went straight through him. Shocked, Sidious looked at his blade before staring back at Anakin incredulously. Holding the blade out perpendicular to his body, Sidious thrust the blade directly into Anakin's sternum to no effect, a shimmering light emanating from the point where Sidious' blade met Anakin's body .

"How?" he asked in awe.

Anakin didn't answer him, the blade still held in his chest. Instead, he looked up at Leia and nodded his head. Understanding what she had to do, Leia ran at Sidious who was completely immobilized and sliced at his neck. The Emperor's head came off cleanly and went flying across the room, a shocked expression imprinted upon his dead face.

Leia and Anakin both watched with grotesque fascination as Sidious' headless body fell to the ground. Looking up at her father, Leia opened her mouth to ask how he had done it but was cut off.

"How is Luke?" he asked urgently.

Remembering Luke, Leia spun around and ran to her brother. He had fallen over once again into a fetal position and was trembling terribly, his right arm held tight to his chest. "We need to get him out of here," Leia said.

"Father," Luke said, looking up to see Anakin. "Did you do it? Is he dead?"

Anakin nodded his head and gave Luke a sad look. "It is done," he said simply. Swallowing hard, Anakin kneeled down before Luke and put his hand on the back of his head. Kissing his forehead, Anakin looked down. "Show me your arm," he said.

Luke raised his trembling arm to his father, his eyes watering with pain. Anakin looked at the stump with a grimace and closed his eyes. Grasping the arm gently, Anakin leaned down and kissed the wound as well. Luke gave Anakin a surprised look as his father stood back up.

As he turned to Leia, she could see that tears were falling down his cheeks. "I am so proud of you," he said in a wavering voice. "Of both of you." Leia didn't recoil when he took a step towards her and leaned down to kiss her on the forehead. When his lips made contact, however, she felt no sensation whatsoever. "Goodbye, my children," he said when he stepped away from Leia. "I love you both." With that, Anakin Skywalker disappeared, the echo of his last words still lingering in the vast throne room.

* * *

Padmé woke up that morning with a start. Unsure of why she had woken up so abruptly, she rolled over in bed. Noticing that Anakin wasn't there with her, she sat up abrruptly nd looked around the hut. He was nowhere to be found. Panicking, Padmé threw the sheets off her and jumped to her feet. He wouldn't have gone without saying goodbye, would he?

Hyperventilating, Padmé searched frantically for her boots. Throwing them on, she wrenched the door open and ran outside. "Anakin!" she screamed, looking around frantically for any sign of him. She didn't expect to find him, however. She knew where he had gone.

Running towards the trail, she felt her heart hammering in her chest. He couldn't have left her like that. He couldn't be gone already…

Taking two steps at a time, Padmé reached the temple on the top of the cliff in a few minutes time. Panting, she ran through the temple, her footsteps echoing in the high ceilings. "Anakin, where are you?" she screamed, fully panicking now. Suddenly she heard a dull thud and grunt of pain from somewhere to her left. Swinging her head around, she finally saw him, sprawled on his back at the base of the rock overlooking the island.

"Anakin!" she cried, leaping over the Prime Jedi mosaic on her way towards him. Falling to her knees before the rock, her heart skipped a beat when she saw that his eyes were closed. Grabbing his shoulders, she shook him violently. "Anakin, come back to me!"

Anakin inhaled sharply and opened his eyes with a start. "Padmé?" he said in a faint voice.

"I'm here, Ani," she said, overwhelmed with relief that he was alive. "I'm here."

Anakin sat upright, his back rested against the face of the rock. Placing a hand on her cheek, he gave her a smile. "Padmé," he said again.

"Are you alright?" she asked nervously, disquieted by his expression.

"They're safe," he said. "Our children are safe." He then leaned in and gave her a soft kiss on the lips. Padmé closed her eyes and returned the kiss as she ran her hand through his hair. Separating, she looked down at him with a concerned expression.

"Goodbye, my love," he said with a faint smile.

"Ani –"

But Anakin Skywalker was gone, disappearing before her very eyes. Her hand was still suspended where his hair had just been. Shocked, Padmé was frozen for a moment. Lowering her hand slowly, she looked up with a dazed expression as tears began to cascade down her cheeks. Her husband was gone. Anakin Skywalker was no more.

* * *

"Luke, we have to get out of here."

"Father…" Luke said, clearly confused as to where Anakin had gone. "Father, where did you go?"

"Luke, listen to me," Leia said firmly. "We have to get out of here now." Out the massive window, she could see that the Rebel Fleet had finally arrived and were engaged with Imperial vessels. If Obi-Wan and the Rebels had successfully taken out the shield generator, they could be in serious danger if they didn't get off this station.

"We can't go," Luke said deliriously, his breathing shallow and irregular. "We have to stop the attack. The Rebels don't know –"

"There's no time!" Leia said urgently. "We have to go!" Taking his left arm, Leia pulled a reluctant Luke to his feet.

"Leia, wait!" he said, wincing as his right arm fell to his side and collided with his leg painfully. "We can't leave Mara."

"She cut off your hand!" Leia exclaimed incredulously.

"I have to save her!" Luke cried.

"Luke, no!" Luke wasn't listening, however. Freeing himself from Leia's grip, Luke reached down and grabbed Mara by the arm and tried to pull her with his left hand. "Leave her, Luke!"

"I'm not leaving without her!"

Sighing, Leia stepped forward and pushed Luke away from Mara. Kneeling down, she grabbed Mara by the waist and threw her over her shoulder with the assistance of the Force. "Come on, let's go," she said, straining mightily under Mara's weight. This was a terrible idea. They would be moving substantially slower with Mara in tow, which would in turn increase the likeliness that they get caught or that they were still on the station when it exploded.

When they reached the elevator, Leia could tell that Luke was seriously struggling to stay on his feet. The adrenaline was wearing off and Luke was no doubt experiencing horrific pain. "Stay with me, Luke," she said. "Just a little longer."

When they stepped out of the elevator, Leia could see that the station was dissolving into chaos as Imperials were running about frantically. This would improve their chances of not getting caught, at least, but the hallways were extremely congested, slowing their progress even more. "I don't know where I'm going," Leia growled as she took another turn.

"I think… I think it's this way," Luke said in an alarmingly faint voice. They were halfway down another hall when Luke suddenly collapsed, clutching at his right arm.

"Luke!" Leia exclaimed, dropping Mara without hesitation and running towards him.

"I can't make it," he said, his eyes shining with pain and fear. "Leave me."

"Shut up!" Leia said angrily. "I'm not leaving you, Luke." Behind her, she heard Mara stir and sit up. Leia jumped to her feet and spun towards Mara. Drawing her lightsaber, she pointed it at Mara's throat.

"Where… where am I?" she asked, not registering the lightsaber in her face.

"Can you walk?" Leia asked, lowering the blade.

"I think so," she said, rubbing the back of her head tenderly.

"Then get up," Leia said shortly as she extinguished her blade. Turning back to Luke, she reached down and threw him over her back much like she had with Mara a few minutes ago. Luke, however, was much heavier than Mara, and Leia buckled slightly under his weight.

"Hanger," she said through gritted teeth. "Guide us."

Nodding, Mara got to her feet slowly and began leading her down the hall. Each step was a colossal undertaking for Leia, and she knew she wouldn't be able to sustain Luke's weight for much longer. Yet nonetheless, she kept going. A burning passion coursed through her, enabling her to persevere in spite of the protestations of her limbs.

Finally, they reached the hangar which was flooded with pilots running in every direction. Amidst the chaos, nobody gave them a second glance. "What's happening?" Mara asked, bewildered by the commotion and chaos.

Leia dropped Luke to the ground and grabbed her knees, breathing heavily. "The Rebels… the Rebels are attacking," she struggled to say. "Help me carry Luke."

"Oh," Mara said, realizing perhaps for the first time how much Leia was struggling. "Sorry about that." She reached down and grabbed the semi-conscious Luke by the armpits and lifted him. "You get the legs," she said.

Obliging, Leia and Mara carried Luke across the hangar towards Mara's ship. Struggling up the on ramp, they were finally able to dump Luke onto a cot in the ship's main hold. "Mara?" Luke said, looking up to see her for the first time.

"I'm going to get us out of here," she said, unable to meet Luke's eyes. "You two stay here."

Leia watched her leave and contemplated once again the enigma that was Mara Jade. Why was she helping them this time? It would have been much easier for her to escape by herself and leave them behind to die.

As Leia looked away from Mara's retreating figure, she felt a massive tremor in the Force, so profound that she had to place a hand on Luke's cot to support herself. Luke seemed to have felt it as well, as his eyes opened wide and his whole body stiffened.

"Leia…" he said.

"You felt that too?" she asked, taking her hand off the cot and standing upright.

"It's Father," he said without hesitation. "He's gone."

* * *

**_Author's Note: _**I apologize that this chapter is so much shorter than the other ones, but this felt like the proper place to cut it. I want to thank you all for reading to this point; it's really a pleasure to receive such warm support and feedback from you guys. There are only two more chapters plus an epilogue to go, so do stay tuned for the end!


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

Once they were far enough away from the Death Star and out of the fray of battle, Mara returned from the cockpit. "How is he?" she asked Leia softly. Leia didn't know how to answer as she bit her lip nervously looking at Luke's sleeping form. "I'm so sorry," she said.

Leia turned to look at Mara quickly. "Is that so?" she asked bitterly.

Mara looked away. "Did you kill him?" she asked. "The Emperor?"

"I cut his head off," Leia said darkly.

Mara looked back at Leia with a surprised expression. "I guess I underestimated you," she said.

Leia shook her head and looked back at Luke. "I didn't do anything," she said. "Vader… I mean, my father saved us."

"Vader?" Mara repeated. "What are you talking about?"

"He was there," Leia said, feeling overwhelmingly weary all of a sudden. "And now he's gone. It's all my fault…"

Mara didn't know what to say to that and instead stood silently in the doorway for a few minutes. Leia was startled to feel her eyes begin to water up with tears as the guilt came crashing down on her in waves. It had been her idea to run away from Ahch-To. She could blame Obi-Wan all she wanted, but she had gone along willingly. Because of her recklessness, Luke now was missing a hand and her father was dead.

Only now that he was gone could she truly appreciate him. She had loved him, after all, despite insisting that she hadn't for three years. He had loved her unequivocally despite the fact that she had been horrible to him. Now she would never get a chance to apologize. Never get a chance to thank him. Nor would she ever get a chance to tell her father that she loved him…

"Why don't you get some rest," Mara said suddenly. "I'll look after Luke."

Leia looked up and wiped the tears out of her eyes. "I… I can't leave him," she said.

"You don't have to," Mara said sympathetically as she stepped forward. "But you need some rest."

"Why are you doing this?" she asked.

Mara hesitated. "I… I don't know," she said lamely.

Deciding that she was too exhausted to probe any deeper, Leia merely nodded her head and walked past Mara. Not knowing where else to go in the unfamiliar ship, Leia went to the cockpit. Crashing down into the copilot's chair, Leia stared out blankly into space. Endor was looming large in the window, and it seemed that Mara was guiding them back towards the moon's surface.

Leia wanted to fall asleep, but she knew she couldn't. She didn't trust Mara in the slightest, and she knew that it was too great of a risk to lower her guard in her presence. Moreover, the guilt had not yet subsided, either. She thought of her mother who was now all alone on Ahch-To. For the past three years, her mother had been happier than she had ever seen her. She had been too stubborn to admit it, but she knew now that she had been so happy because of Anakin. Now she had taken him away from her. Leia had shattered her mother's happiness…

A few minutes later, Mara returned to the cockpit and took control of the ship once again. Without speaking to Leia, she maneuvered the shuttle through the atmosphere and toward the surface. As they descended farther, however, they could see that the Imperial base was in ruins. "What happened?" Mara asked.

"The Rebels must have destroyed the shield generator," Leia said. "We'll have to find somewhere else to land." It took them a long time to find a suitable landing location on Endor's heavily forested surface. Finally, they found a small clearing where several trees had been blown away by blaster fire.

"You stay here and look after Luke," Leia said, unbuckling herself from the copilot's chair and standing up. "I'll go find help."

"But –"

"I'll be faster," Leia interrupted. "Besides, I have a general idea where I'm going.

"Leia, wait!" Mara said as Leia was just about to leave. "I can't let you go to the Rebels."

Leia turned around slowly and put her hand on her lightsaber. "Excuse me?" she said.

"They'll execute me if they find me!" Mara said nervously.

"Don't worry, I'll vouch for you," Leia said impatiently.

"You will?" Mara asked, surprised.

"You'll be fine, just look after Luke while I'm gone," Leia said, turning around to leave. Should she actually vouch for Mara? She had tried to kill them on the Death Star, after all. But on the other hand, she had also saved their lives. Besides, it was clear that Mara wasn't like Sidious. She had cut off Luke's hand, but she clearly had been unable to actually kill him. Luke wouldn't have wanted her to turn Mara in, so she wouldn't.

Leia took off running out of Mara's ship in the general direction of where she suspected the Rebels would be. Running helped her clear her mind and keep the guilt and sorrow at bay. Getting help for Luke was of paramount importance to her at the moment.

The sounds of celebration in the distance guided Leia towards the elusive Rebels. Relieved, Leia ran faster towards the noises. "Stop right there!" a gruff voice suddenly called out. "Who are you?"

Turning towards the voice, Leia saw two Rebel soldiers pointing blasters at her. Out of breath, Leia was unable to answer for a moment and instead held up her hands.

"Identify yourself!" the soldier demanded again.

"I'm –"

"Drop your blaster, you moron!" Surprised, Leia looked up and sighed in relief when she saw Han striding towards her. "That's Princess Leia you're pointing your weapon at."

The soldiers turned around and lowered their weapons. "And who the hell are you?" one of them asked.

"Get lost," Han said irritably. The soldiers gave Han a dirty look, but nonetheless they obliged and walked away. When they were gone, Han shocked her by crushing her in a hug.

"Han, what are you doing?" she asked, her voice unnaturally high due to the strength of the hug. Embarrassed, Han released her.

"Sorry," he mumbled, not looking her in the eye. "I just thought… when it went…"

"What are you talking about?" Leia asked.

"The Death Star," he said. "They destroyed it." Looking up, Leia could see at once that Han was right. The looming presence of the incomplete battle station was gone, a giant puff of smoke and debris was all that was left. "I thought you were on it, I thought…"

"I'm fine," Leia said, surprised by Han's attitude. It looked as if he was on the verge of tears. Han looked her in the eye again and was silent for a moment. Suddenly, he leaned down and kissed her firmly on the mouth. Caught off guard, Leia didn't know what to do. Han stepped back quickly, however, and covered his mouth with his hands.

"I'm so sorry!" he said. "I didn't mean to, I swear!" Leia said nothing, paralyzed by the unexpected kiss. "I just wanted to do that for so long," Han said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly.

Blinking rapidly, Leia remembered why she was there. "Luke is hurt," she said faintly. "He needs medical attention."

"Oh, of course," Han said quickly, his face flaming red with embarrassment. "Follow me."

* * *

Leia was waiting on a bench in the hallway of the medical ward on the Rebel flagship. Mara was seated next to her, her hands clasped tightly on her lap, clearly feeling out of place amidst the Rebels. Leaning against the wall to her right was Han who kept giving her side glances which Leia pretended not to notice. Leia wondered who was feeling more uncomfortable right now: Han or Mara?

"He saved your life, you know," Leia finally said to Mara. "Luke did."

"He did?" Mara asked, turning to look at Leia with wide eyes.

Leia nodded and looked back towards the operating room where they had taken Luke. "I would have left you there," she said. "Luke forced me to take you with us."

Mara swallowed hard and looked away as well. "He's saved me in more ways than one, I suppose," she said softly.

"What do you mean?" Leia asked curiously.

"The old me would have killed him," she said somberly. "But I couldn't do it. He was the first person that was ever… compassionate towards me. He saw good in me that even I didn't know I had."

"That's Luke for you," Leia said with a knowing nod. "He sees the good in everybody."

"Even the Emperor?" Mara asked.

Leia snorted. "Okay, maybe not everybody," she amended. Mara laughed and gave Leia a smile.

"I'll make it up to him," she said, placing her hand on Leia's knee. "I am forever indebted to you and your brother."

Unsure of what to say to this sincere statement, Leia merely placed her hand atop Mara's and nodded. A tap on her shoulder caused Leia to look away from Mara.

"They're done," Han said, gesturing to the now open door of the operating room where she saw a medical droid approaching. Leia stood up quickly to greet the droid.

"How is he?" she asked urgently.

"The patient has been fitted with a mechanical hand and synthetic skin," the droid said flatly. "The operation was a success."

"Can we see him?" Mara asked.

"The patient will be transported to room 1103 shortly," the droid said. "He may receive visitors in that room."

A few minutes later, Leia was knocking on the door to room 1103. Not waiting for a response, Leia opened the door and stepped in, leaving Mara and Han behind in the hallway. Luke was propped up with some cushions on a bed. When she entered, he looked up to see her, a grim expression on his face.

"How are you?" she asked tentatively as she sat down on the chair next to his bedside. Luke looked away, flexing his right hand which now looked identical to his left.

"I feel hollow," he said quietly. "I know I should be happy, but I just can't."

Leia swallowed hard and looked down, guilt weighing her down once again. "Luke, I'm so sorry –"

"It's not your fault that he's gone," Luke interrupted as he turned to look at her. "I don't blame you, Leia."

Leia shook her head and felt her eyes watering up again. "How can you say that?" she asked. "It's entirely my fault. He wouldn't have had to die if I hadn't tried to play the hero." Luke said nothing and closed his eyes, his lower lip trembling slightly. "We should go back to Ahch-To as soon as possible," Leia said faintly after a tense silence. "Mom is all alone."

Luke nodded and didn't respond. Feeling frustrated with herself, Leia stood up and walked towards the door. "Mara and Han will want to see you," she said as she put her hand on the door handle.

"Leia, wait," Luke said, causing her to stop. "Please don't leave."

Leia sighed and took her hand off the handle. Turning around, she returned to her seat. When she was seated, Luke held out his mechanical hand to her. Leia took it into her own and gave it a squeeze. It felt no different than a normal hand.

"He wouldn't want you to feel guilty," Luke whispered to her.

"How can I not?" Leia asked, wrapping Luke's hand in both of her own. "I'm responsible for his death."

"You're not responsible, Leia," Luke said. "When he went, he was at peace. He died with purpose."

"What about Mom?" Leia asked, a single tear escaping and falling down her cheek. "She'll be devastated."

"Then we'll be there for her," Luke said. "And I'll be there for you."

Leia smiled in spite of herself, awed by Luke's purity. "You're the most amazing person I've ever met," she said to him.

"That's funny," Luke said with a smile. "I was going to say the same thing to you."

* * *

"You're leaving?"

"As soon as Luke is ready, yes," Leia said to Mothma.

Mothma frowned and stood up from her chair in her office on the cruiser. Walking around, she sat down on the edge of the desk and gave Leia a probing look. "What happened on the Death Star?" she asked.

"I don't want to talk about it," Leia said once again, vexed that Mothma couldn't let this go.

"Leia, what has gotten in to you?" Mothma asked. "You show up dressed like that and tell me that Luke lost his hand, yet you refuse to tell me anything!" Leia nodded, thinking that this was an accurate summation of the situation. "I'm not going to let you leave without an explanation," Mothma said as she crossed her arms irritably.

"You can't contain me," Leia said ominously, staring back at Mothma defiantly. "If I want to leave, there's nothing you can do to stop me."

"Is that so?" Mothma asked, sitting up from the desk. "You're awfully confident in yourself, aren't you?" Leia nodded and said nothing. Exhaling loudly, Mothma turned around and returned to her side of the desk. "I'm not your enemy, Leia," she said when she sat back down. "I just want to know what's going on."

"You know what you need to know, alright?" Leia said. "The Emperor is dead and the war is over. What else do you want?"

"The war is not over, Leia!" Mothma exclaimed. "The Emperor may be dead, but the Imperial apparatus remains." Leia bit her tongue and looked away. "I want you by my side, Leia," she pleaded. "We can be very helpful to one another."

"I'm not going to be your puppet, Senator," Leia said fiercely.

"I'm not proposing that!" Mothma said exasperatedly. When Leia said nothing, Mothma sighed and regained her composure. "Can you at least tell me who that woman is?" she asked. "The one you brought back from the Death Star?"

"A friend," Leia said stiffly. "That's all you need to know."

"I would appreciate a little more specificity," Mothma said.

"That's all you need to know," Leia repeated irritably.

Mothma rolled her eyes and put her hands on the desk. "You must be like your father because Padmé would never have been so difficult," she said.

Leia stiffened at the mention of her father. "Can I go?" she asked.

"At least tell me if you intend to return," Mothma said.

"Perhaps," she said. "It all depends on what my mother wants."

"She will want you to return," Mothma said confidently.

"I'm not so sure of that," Leia said, pursing her lips as she considered her mother. Would she hate her for what she had done? Or would she forgive her like Luke had?

Leia stood up and turned to leave. "Leia, wait," Mothma said, standing up as well. Leia turned around and gave her a questioning look. "May the Force be with you," she said.

Leia looked back at Mothma silently for a moment. "Goodbye, Senator," she said coldly before turning to leave.

* * *

Padmé was weeping softly on her bed when there was a knock on her door. Surprised, Padmé looked up and stopped crying for the first time in what felt like days. She was all alone on this island. Who could possibly be at her door? Was it the Caretakers?

Getting off the bed, she shuffled towards the door. Opening it, she saw Luke standing in the doorframe. Dressed in his Jedi robes, he looked so much like his father.

"Oh, Luke!" Padmé exclaimed, hugging him tightly. "I was so worried!"

"I'm okay, Mom," he said softly in her ear. Padmé didn't let go of him for a full minute, relishing in his warmth. At least she still had her children…

"Leia wants to know if you're angry at her," Luke said when they finally separated.

"Why would I be angry at her?" Padmé asked as she wiped her eyes.

"Um… no reason," Luke said unconvincingly. "We're just outside when you're ready." Luke turned around and walked away. Padmé watched him go for a moment before turning to get changed. Throwing on a pair of pants and her coat, Padmé left the hut. Waiting in the grass was Luke, Leia, Han, and a woman whom she didn't recognize.

Without a word, Padmé rushed to Leia and hugged her tightly. Leia seemed tense, as if she hadn't expected to received warmly. Releasing her, Padmé looked down and frowned. "What are you wearing?" she asked sternly.

Leia blushed and looked away. "Mara gave it to me," she said sheepishly.

"Mom, this is Mara Jade," Luke said when Padmé opened her mouth to ask who Mara was. Looking at the pretty, red-haired woman, Padmé extended her hand to her. "You're Padmé Amidala," Mara said with an awed expression as she shook her hand.

"I am," Padmé said modestly.

"I heard stories about you as a girl," Mara said. "You were an idol to me."

Padmé nodded her head, but didn't say anything. Normally, she would have been delighted to hear this, but she couldn't muster up any enthusiasm at the moment.

"I assume you know what happened?" Padmé asked, turning to Luke. "To… to your father."

Luke nodded and put a hand on her shoulder. "We felt it when it happened," he said softly. Padmé looked away from his compassionate expression and bit her tongue, willing herself not to cry. Fortunately, she had no tears left to spend.

"Tell me what happened," she said in a wavering voice. And so they began their story. Padmé said nothing when Leia confessed that it had been her idea to run away. She had suspected that that might have been the case. Leia had been so frustrated with Anakin's lack of action in the past few weeks. Padmé understood why Leia feared she might be angry at her. From her perspective, she felt as if she was responsible for Anakin's death. Padmé couldn't be angry at Leia, however. She cared for her too much to blame her for that.

She could feel angry at Obi-Wan, however. It was clear that he had egged Leia on and was supportive of her abandoning Anakin. The coward had evidently decided not to come back to Ahch-To, either.

When Luke began to tell her about the duel on Endor, Padmé finally interrupted him. "Wait a minute, you're a Sith?" she asked Mara.

Mara flushed and looked away from Padmé's eyes. "Not really," she said lamely. "Sidious never made me his apprentice."

This seemed like an irrelevant technicality to Padmé. "What is she doing here?" Padmé asked Luke.

"Mom, Mara is a friend," he said defensively. "She helped save our lives."

Crossing her arms, Padmé gave Mara a dirty look but said nothing else and allowed Luke to continue with the story. Luke hesitated, however, when they reached the Death Star. Glancing at Mara, Luke looked uncomfortable. "What happened, Luke?" Padmé asked, confused by Luke's hesitation.

"Mara defended the Emperor when I tried to attack him," Leia said, intervening on Luke's behalf. "She cut off Luke's right hand."

Padmé gasped, her eyes widened with shock. "But his hand –"

"It's mechanical now," Leia said. "They applied synthetic skin so it looks no different."

"Oh, Luke," Padmé said, reaching out and taking Luke's hand. She would have had no idea that it was artificial if Leia hadn't told her. Raising his hand to her lips, she kissed it softly. "I'm so sorry," she said.

Leia began to continue with her story, but Padmé interrupted her. "I don't want her in my sight," she said angrily, pointing at Mara. "I don't care what you say, Luke," she added when Luke opened his mouth to offer an objection.

"But Mom –"

"No, it's okay," Mara said, backing away. "She has every right to hate me." Padmé watched Mara walk away, trembling with rage.

"I think I'll go keep an eye on her," Han said, backing away as well. "Make sure she doesn't do something stupid."

"She's a good person, Mom," Luke said when Han had gone. "She's been horribly abused by the Emperor, just like Father was."

"I don't care," Padmé said bitterly. "She harmed my son."

Unsure of what to say, Luke was silent. "I defeated her," Leia said, breaking a tense silence. "After she cut off Luke's hand, I was so angry. I pushed her back and disarmed her. Sidious told me to kill her, but I didn't even though I wanted to. The Emperor was angry when I refused to join him, so he electrocuted me."

"He did what?" Padmé asked incredulously.

"He held out his hands and shocked me with some sort of lightning," Leia said, grimacing as she relived the experience. "It was the most excruciating pain I've ever experienced."

"Oh, Leia," Padmé said, holding her hands up to her mouth in horror.

"He saved me, though," Leia said. "Father came to save me." Padmé arched an eyebrow in surprise. Since when did Leia refer to Anakin as her father?

"I was able to escape when he arrived," she said. "Sidious was furious and tried to kill him, but his lightsaber went straight through him. While he was distracted, I was able to cut his head off from behind."

"You killed the Emperor?" Padmé asked, stunned. "You really did it?"

"She's a hero," Luke said proudly.

"I'm not a hero," Leia said. "Father did all the work."

"Do you know how he did it?" Luke asked her, ignoring Leia's humility. "He wasn't really there at all, was he?"

"He projected himself from Ahch-To," Padmé explained in a strained voice. "Qui-Gon taught him how to do it in their private sessions."

"But why –"

"He knew he would die if he did it," Padmé said, deciding it was best to power through this explanation without stopping. "It required a tremendous use of power to project himself like that. He sacrificed himself to save you."

"I killed him," Leia said. "This is all my fault."

"No, Leia!" Padmé said, reaching out and grabbing Leia's hand. "This isn't your fault, okay? You did what you thought was right, and you shouldn't blame yourself for that."

"That's what Luke said," Leia mumbled, not looking Padmé in the eye.

"Luke is a very wise young man," she said, flashing a sweet smile to her son. "There's no point in dwelling on what might have been."

Abruptly, both Luke and Leia looked up to their left. Confused, Padmé looked up as well but didn't see anything. "What is it?" she asked. "What are you looking at?"

Neither of them seemed to register her question. "Are you back?" Luke asked, still staring off into nothingness.

"Luke, what is happening?" Padmé asked urgently, grabbing his arm and yanking it violently. Luke tore his eyes away from what he was looking at and turned to her.

"You can't see him?" he asked.

"See who?" Padmé said, utterly bewildered. Once again, Luke turned towards the left for a moment before looking back at Padmé.

"It's Father," he said. "He wants you to know that he loves you."


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29

Leia looked between her mother and father with a dazed expression. How could it be that her father was here, standing in front of her? And why couldn't her mother see him?

"Anakin?" Padmé said, looking to the right of where he was standing. "Anakin is here?"

"_She can't see me," _Anakin said with a sad expression. _"She's not Force sensitive." _

"How can you be here?" Leia asked him.

"_Master Qui-Gon taught me how to retain my consciousness after death," _Anakin explained.

She could see now that he didn't appear as he had when he had died. While it was hard to see in the morning sunlight, he was emitting a faint blue hue and was shimmering slightly.

"Are you sure there's no way for her to see you?" Luke asked.

Anakin frowned as he looked at Padmé solemnly. _"I'm afraid not," _he said quietly. _"Although there are ways we can communicate." _Anakin's words were accompanied with a gentle gust of wind which seemed to solely effect Padmé. Confused, Padmé looked around as the breeze played with her hair. From the distance, Leia could see something floating towards them. As it approached, she could see that it was a sunflower.

"_It's not the most romantic flower, I'm afraid," _Anakin said. _"But not much grows on this island, as you know." _

"How are you doing this?" Leia asked. "You're dead, aren't you?"

"_I've become one with the Force," _Anakin said simply as the yellow flower came to a stop a foot away from Padmé.

Padmé reached out and took the flower, her eyes shining with tears. "Ani," she whispered. Leia looked away, feeling horribly guilty. It was her fault that her mother would never get to see him again. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Anakin's ghost approach Padmé. Looking back, she watched as Anakin placed his shimmering hand atop Padmé's which was still wrapped around the sunflower. Padmé looked up suddenly, staring directly into where Anakin's face was.

"Can you see him?" Luke asked her optimistically.

Padmé didn't respond, searching the apparently empty space in front of her longingly. _"Your mother and I share a Force bond," _Anakin said, keeping his eyes on Padmé's face. _"Even though she is not Force sensitive, we are bound inseparably to one another." _

"Can she feel your touch?" Luke asked.

"_In a sense," _Anakin said vaguely, glancing at Luke briefly.

"He's standing right in front of me, isn't he?" Padmé asked.

"He is," Luke answered. Leia glanced at Luke and gestured with her head. Getting the message, Luke stepped around Padmé and walked away with Leia to give their parents some privacy. Of course, they couldn't interact conventionally, but Leia felt it best to give them some space regardless.

"I wish she could see him too," Luke said to her once they were far enough away. Leia swallowed hard and nodded, unable to speak. After a few minutes, Anakin turned away from Padmé and walked towards them.

"_She hasn't slept in days," _he told them. _"She ought to get some rest."_

"I can take her back to the hut," Leia offered.

"_No, Luke can do that," _Anakin said. _"I would like to speak with you alone." _

Luke nodded and walked off towards Padmé who was still staring where Anakin had been moments prior. Taking her by the hand, Luke whispered something to her. Leia saw her mother nod and allow Luke to lead her back towards her hut. Looking back towards her father, Leia felt a lump form in her throat.

"I'm so sorry," Leia said, finally breaking down in tears which she had held back for so long. "I didn't mean for you to die."

Leia felt her tears stop rolling down her cheeks. Surprised, she reached up to brush them away but stopped when she saw them float away from her face, suspended an inch in front of her nose.

"_Don't cry, my dear," _Anakin said, smiling faintly at her wonderment. _"Your mother and brother are right. You don't need to blame yourself for what happened."_

"How can you say that?" she asked, sniffling and wiping her eyes even though they were totally dry. "You wouldn't have had to die if I hadn't run away."

Anakin tilted his head as he looked at her, a wry smile still etched across his face. _"You and I are a lot alike," _he said. _"When I found your mother three years ago, I felt so guilty. I told myself I didn't deserve to be happy. That I didn't deserve to have a family. She didn't let me escape, however. She told me that I had to let go of the past and stop feeling so guilty." _

"But I can't do that," Leia said. "I can't forgive myself. It's my fault that she's never going to be able to see you again. I ruined everything. It's my fault that you're dead."

"_You're wrong, Leia," _he said. _"You didn't kill me. You saved me." _

"I… I saved you?"

"_I would never have fulfilled my destiny had it not been for you," _he explained. _"You were right to doubt me. I never would have left this island to face the Emperor otherwise." _

Leia pursed her lips and looked away, unconvinced by this argument. _"Be strong, my child," _he said softly. _"Don't let yourself wallow in guilt like I did for nineteen years."_

Leia swallowed hard and looked back at him. "I… I never got a chance to tell you," she said.

"_Tell me what?" _he asked.

"That I love you."

Her father smiled at her sweetly. Reaching out, he placed his metaphysical hand on her shoulder. _"I know," _he said.

* * *

"Are you alright?" Han asked as Leia approached the trio waiting in the grass.

"I'm fine," she said weakly, looking down at Luke who was seated next to Mara. Mara hadn't moved when Leia approached and was instead staring off sightlessly at the horizon, a troubled expression painted on her face. "Is Mom sleeping?" Leia asked.

"She promised she would try," Luke said. "She hasn't been able to sleep since Dad… since it happened."

Leia nodded and followed Mara's eyes to see the double suns which were now high in the sky.

"What now?" Han asked.

Leia sighed and shrugged. "I don't know," she said. "Mothma wants me to rejoin the Rebellion."

"Do you not want to?" Han asked.

"I don't know," Leia responded truthfully. "It doesn't feel like the right thing to do. Mom needs Luke and me right now."

"What about you, Mara?" Luke asked, grabbing his knees as he looked at Mara. "Where will you go?"

Mara didn't look at Luke and instead continued staring off into the distance. "I have no idea," she said quietly. "I don't know who I am."

Nobody said anything to this profound statement for a few moments. "I know who you are," Luke said finally.

Mara gave him a skeptical look before turning back towards the horizon. "Is that so?" she said.

"You're a scarred person," Luke said, unfazed by her cynicism. "You've been manipulated and used your entire life." Mara said nothing to this, neither confirming nor denying Luke's assessment. "Yet despite that, you are still a good person."

"You're delusional, Luke," Mara said, shaking her head. "I cut off your hand. Your mother is right about me. I'm a monster."

"My father was a monster," Luke said, boldly reaching out and placing his mechanical hand on her shoulder. "That doesn't mean he wasn't also a good person."

Mara turned to look at him, making no move to remove Luke's hand from her shoulder. "You are a remarkable person, Luke Skywalker," she said.

"So I've been told," Luke said good-naturedly. "I want you to stay with us for now. Until we decide what we're going to do."

Mara shook her head vehemently and looked away again. "I can't do that," she said. "I wouldn't do that to your mother."

"She will forgive you, Mara," Leia said, inserting herself into the conversation. "And if she doesn't, she'll have to put up with you anyway."

Mara bit her lip and didn't say anything to this. "Where else would you go?" Luke asked her.

"There's always a place in the Galaxy for someone like me," she said grimly.

"But you're so much more than a killer, Mara!" Luke said passionately. "You don't have to sell yourself out like that."

"I'm an assassin, Luke!" Mara said loudly as she jumped to her feet suddenly. "I'm not worthy of your compassion."

"I disagree," Luke said, getting to his feet as well. "You've just never had the chance to be anything else."

"Why are you doing this to me?" she asked angrily, but Leia could see that eyes were shining with tears. "Why are you… why are you…"

"Treating you like a person?" Luke offered.

"Acting like I deserve something better?" Mara said instead.

"Because you do deserve better," Luke said. Mara shook her head, but was unable to offer a retort as she was suddenly overwhelmed with tears. Leia was shocked by this, but Luke evidently was not as he stepped forward and embraced her without hesitation. "I can save you, Mara," she heard Luke whisper to her as she sobbed into his shoulder. "You just have to let me."

* * *

Several hours later, Leia had finally changed out of Mara's infamous jumpsuit and was standing outside her mother's hut. Knocking on the door, Leia had to wait for nearly a whole minute before her mother finally opened the door. She had heavy, dark bags under her eyes and her hair was a mess. Feeling guilty at having interrupted her sleep, she made to apologize.

"Sorry for waking you–"

"I wasn't sleeping," Padmé interrupted. "I can't anymore."

"Oh," Leia said, feeling uncharacteristically awkward in front of her mother.

"Come in," Padmé said. Following her mother inside, Leia sat down on the chair while Padmé climbed back into bed and sat cross-legged facing her. Leia could see many of Anakin's personal belongings around the hut, including his lightsaber which was resting on top of the drawer. Leia called it casually to her hand and looked at it curiously.

"How are you?" Padmé asked her, watching Leia closely.

"How am I?" Leia said with a soft laugh. "You ought to focus on yourself for once."

"What do you mean?" Padmé asked with a frown.

"You're a mess, Mom!" Leia exclaimed. "When was the last time you slept?"

Padmé pursed her lips and looked away. "I can't sleep without him," she said in a weak voice.

Cringing, Leia put her father's lightsaber down onto her lap. There was the guilt again. Crushing, debilitating guilt. How could she simply forgive herself like everyone wanted her to do?

Perhaps sensing her struggle, Padmé looked up. "Don't worry about me, Leia," she said. "I'm in grief, but I'll recover. I love Anakin, but I'm not going to give up on life now that he's gone. I still have you and Luke."

"That may be true, but I'm still worried about you," Leia said. Padmé didn't respond, electing to stare down at her knees instead. "Did you see it happen? Did you see him die?" Leia asked softly. Padmé looked up sharply, confirming Leia's suspicion. "I thought so," Leia said.

"How did you know?" Padmé asked.

"After Alderaan was destroyed, I couldn't close my eyes without reliving it," Leia said, her eyes unfocused as she thought back to that horrible day. "You remember. I couldn't sleep for weeks because of it. The same thing is happening to you, isn't it?"

Padmé nodded and swallowed hard. "I only was able to get past that because of you and Luke," Leia said. "You two looked after me. Now you need to let us look after you."

Padmé sniffled and gave Leia a warm smile. "I'm so proud of you, Leia," she said. "I hope you know that."

Leia returned her mother's smile but didn't say anything, feeling unworthy of this praise. "Luke and I are going to stay with you," she said eventually. "We'll do whatever you ask of us."

"I want to go home," Padmé said without hesitation. "Back to Naboo."

"Then we'll go there," Leia said.

"I want to hold his funeral there," Padmé said determinedly. "He would have wanted that."

"I'm sure he would," Leia said faintly, unable to look her mother in the eye anymore. "Luke wants Mara to come," she added.

Padmé stiffened visibly at this request. "Why?" she asked.

"He said he wants to save her," Leia said, shaking her head slightly. "He says he sees good in her, even after everything she did to him." Padmé clenched her jaw and looked away. "You did the same thing for Dad," Leia said, feeling obliged to defend Luke's position even if she didn't fully understand it.

"That's different," Padmé said, pointing a finger at her. "Your father and I were married and loved each other. Luke barely knows this woman."

"I think you need to give her a chance," Leia said.

"Do you forgive her?" Padmé asked.

"No," Leia replied truthfully. "But Luke does, and that's all that matters."

Padmé exhaled loudly but nodded her head. "Alright," she said. "But that doesn't mean I like it."

Neither said anything for a few moments, both deep in their own thoughts. Finally, Leia remembered why she was there in the first place. "Mothma wants me to return to the Rebellion," she said. "I told her I wouldn't commit to anything without consulting you first."

Padmé blinked a few times, her mind clearly elsewhere. "That's sweet of you, but you don't have to ask for my permission anymore," she said.

"I'm asking for advice, not permission," Leia said.

"You mean to say you're not sure if you want to return?" Padmé asked with a hint of incredulity. "You don't want a chance to restore the Republic?"

"Of course I do, but…"

"But what?"

"I don't know if I belong in that world anymore," she said. "I'm not the same person as I was three years ago."

"Of course you aren't," Padmé said. "You've grown so much since then, Leia."

"I just don't know if I can go back to politics and pretend like I'm the same person."

"Why do you have to be the same person?" Padmé asked.

Leia hesitated, unsure how to answer this question. "Mothma wants Leia Organa by her side as an ally," she said.

"Well, she's going to be disappointed then," Padmé said. "Because you're not Leia Organa anymore, are you?"

"No," Leia agreed. "I'm a Skywalker now."

* * *

A few days later, Padmé was standing on the porch of her parent's summer home at Varykino on Naboo, watching the purple and orange sky as the sun dipped beneath the lake on the horizon. She had gotten married to Anakin on this very porch, and now here she was preparing to conduct his funeral. It was remarkable that she had managed to maintain her composure to this point. Yet despite everything, she somehow felt stronger than ever. An indescribable force seemed to be driving her forward, preventing her from breaking down and succumbing to the tears.

From behind her, she heard someone clear their throat. Turning around, she saw her mother standing in the doorway. "There's someone here to see you," she said.

"Who's that?" Padmé asked.

Her mother stepped aside and Padmé stiffened when she saw Obi-Wan Kenobi standing behind her. He took a step forward onto the porch, his hands held in front of him.

"Padmé," he said, bowing his head slightly.

"What are you doing here?" she asked stiffly as Jobal turned to leave.

"Mothma sent me," he said.

"Did she now?"

"She wants you to return to the Rebellion," he said. "To the Republic, that is. She wants you in her cabinet when she's appointed Chancellor." Padmé looked away, completely apathetic to the offer. "Look, Padmé…"

Padmé turned back and gave Obi-Wan a questioning look. "What?" she asked irritably.

"I would like to apologize," he said, taking a few steps forward. "For everything."

"I'm sure you would," she said with biting acrimony.

"I failed your husband," he said. "It was my fault that he turned to the dark side." Padmé said nothing to this, waiting for Obi-Wan to continue. "You were right. I would have killed him if you had told me where he was twenty-two years ago. You had every right to lie to me."

"Is that all?" Padmé asked with an edge to her voice.

"I'm afraid I haven't given you the respect you deserve, and for that I am sincerely sorry," he said. "I tried to use you then and I tried to use you three years ago when I asked for you to meet me on Corsin."

"And then you tried to use my children," Padmé said angrily. "You're a manipulative bastard, Obi-Wan."

"I know it," Obi-Wan said, lowering his head. "I am a Jedi. It's who I was trained to be."

Padmé's expression softened a fraction as she sensed Obi-Wan's sincerity. "Did you love him?" she asked suddenly.

Obi-Wan looked up to meet her eyes. "Like a brother," he said.

Padmé nodded, knowing at once that Obi-Wan wasn't lying to her about this. "I want you at his funeral," she said. "Luke, Leia, and I are going to do it tonight."

"I would be honored," Obi-Wan said, bowing before her. "I will never fail you or your family again, I promise."

"Thank you, Obi-Wan," she said, moved by how remorseful he clearly felt about what had happened.

* * *

Later that night, Padmé laid down the robe Anakin had been wearing when he had died on a funeral pyre by the lakeside. Behind her stood Luke and Leia. Farther back was Obi-Wan, who clearly didn't feel as if he belonged there. Stepping back a few steps, Padmé stood in between her two children as they looked at the pyre silently. After a minute, Luke reached down and picked up the torch. Lighting it with a match, Luke offered it to Padmé who accepted it with a shaking hand. Noticing this, Leia reached out and grabbed her mother's wrist, stabilizing her hand.

Taking a deep breath, Padmé stepped forward and Leia's hand fell away. No longer trembling, Padmé threw the torch onto the pyre and watched as it lit up in flames. A warm and gentle breeze hit her as she did this, causing her dress and hair to dance about lightly. "Goodbye, my love," Padmé whispered to the crackling flames.


	30. Epilogue

Epilogue

Four Years Later

Padmé was seated at her desk reading a report on a holopad when her comlink buzzed.

"Chancellor Amidala, your daughter is here to see you."

With a smile, Padmé reached across the desk and activated the comlink. "Send her in," she said. Setting the holopad aside, Padmé straitened her dress as she stood up. She checked her reflection briefly in a mirror on the opposite end of the room. Her hair was starting to gray now, having given up bothering to dye it after she had been elected Chancellor a few months ago. Otherwise, she liked to think that she hadn't aged much in the past four years.

The doors to her office opened and Padmé looked away from the mirror to see Leia. She was wearing a simple cream-colored tunic with a pair of black pants. Her lightsaber hanged from a clip on her belt. "Hello Chancellor," she greeted with a twinkle in her eye.

"Master Skywalker," Padmé said with a broad smile.

Leia rolled her eyes and entered the room, the door closing behind her. "I'm not a Master, Mom. Obi-Wan is the only one who can use that title."

"I know, it just sounds much better than Knight Skywalker," Padmé said as she opened her arms wide. Leia gave her a quick hug before separating again.

"How have you been?" Padmé asked. "It's been a few weeks since I've seen you."

"Busy," Leia said with a sigh. "Obi-Wan has been training me hard."

"Well isn't Luke lucky to get away from him for a few weeks," Padmé said with a smile.

"Tell me about it," Leia said as she moved to sit down. "I only got three days off when Han and I went on honeymoon, Luke gets to have two whole weeks," she said bitterly.

"That doesn't seem fair," Padmé said with a frown as she sat next to Leia.

"I asked for more time, but Obi-Wan didn't let me," Leia explained. "The war was still going on then, though. Besides, I think he's afraid of what Mara would do if he told her she only got three days off."

Padmé chuckled and nodded her head. "I suppose you're right," she said. "Even so, you deserve some time off as well."

"Don't worry about me," she said with a wink. "I'll be getting a break soon."

"Is that so?" Padmé asked curiously. "When?"

"Oh, I suspect in nine months or so."

Padmé covered her mouth with her hands. "You're pregnant?" she asked. Leia smiled and nodded. "Oh, Leia that's wonderful! Have you told your father?"

"I just did," she said.

Confused, Padmé raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?" Still smiling, Leia nodded her head above Padmé's shoulder. "He's here right now?" Padmé asked.

"He's been here the whole time," Leia said.

Padmé looked over her shoulder at the empty space where her husband was. For the umpteenth time, she wished she was Force sensitive. But even though she couldn't see or hear him, she could somehow sense his presence. At once, she could recognize his distinct presence. "How did he react?" she asked Leia.

"I think he's still processing this information," Leia said, looking over Padmé's shoulder at Anakin's ghost. "He's still not a big fan of Han, you know."

"Well you need to get over that, Anakin," Padmé said with a shake of her head.

"Han's not a huge fan of you, either," Leia said. "He doesn't forgive you for keeping him prisoner for three years."

Padmé waited for Leia to relay Anakin's response to her. "I know he's a scoundrel!" Leia said defensively. "That's why I love him, you know."

"Anakin, you were no better when I married you," Padmé said. "You have no right to complain about Han."

Leia scoffed and rolled her eyes. "He says that he doesn't have to listen to logic now that he's dead," she told Padmé.

Padmé couldn't help but laugh at this. "Have you told Luke?" she asked, changing the conversation.

"I'll tell him when he gets back," Leia said, looking away from Anakin.

Padmé smiled at Leia, her eyes twinkling. "I'm so happy for you," she told her, reaching out and placing her hand on Leia's knee. Leia returned her smile and put her hand on top of Padmé's.

"I should let you get back to work," she said after a while. "I'm sure you have a lot to do."

"I do," Padmé said with a sigh, looking back at her desk with a wistful expression. "Perhaps one day I'll finally be able to rest."

Leia stood up, still holding her mother's hand. "I hope so too," she said. Padmé smiled at her, but internally she knew that she didn't actually want to rest at all. Work kept her busy. With Luke and Leia gone for long stretches of time on various missions, work was all that kept Padmé going.

"Maybe I'll resign when the baby arrives," she said, standing up as well. "You'll need help raising him given how much traveling you do."

"I couldn't possibly ask that of you!" Leia exclaimed. "You're the Chancellor, Mom!"

"I know, I know," Padmé said. "It's just a dream."

"I should get going," Leia said, glancing over Padmé's shoulder once again. "Do you want him to leave also?"

"No, he can stay," Padmé said. "It's not like he can distract me. Besides, it's not as if he would leave even if you asked him to."

"You're right, he never listens to me," Leia said, taking a step back. "Goodbye, Mom."

"Goodbye, Leia."

Padmé watched Leia turn around and leave the office. When the doors closed behind her, Padmé returned to her seat behind her desk with a sigh. Picking up her holopad, she was startled when it floated out of her hands and hovered a foot away from her.

"Anakin!" she exclaimed. "I have work to do!" Looking in front of her where she instinctively knew he was standing, she crossed her arms. "Alright, point taken. You can distract me. Now can I get back to work?"

The holopad wiggled in the air before floating back down to the desk. "Thank you," she said, reaching out to grab it again. Looking back down at the holopad, Padmé was unable to make any progress on the report she had been reading. With a sigh, she dropped it back onto her desk and looked back up.

"I wish I could rest," she said to the empty room. "I don't have the stomach for politics anymore." Padmé paused, considering how odd it would be if someone walked in and saw her talking to herself like this. "I miss you so much," she whispered.

Although the windows were closed, a gentle gust of air brushed past her cheek. Placing her hand on her cheek, Padmé smiled sadly. "Someday, my love," she said softly. "Someday we'll be together again."

THE END

* * *

**_Author's Note: _**Thank you all for reading until the end! I've had so much fun writing this story and receiving feedback from you guys. If you enjoy my writing, please consider reading my next story _Heir of Vader _which I'll be posting today.


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